Joseph Phelps Sauvignon Blanc 2015
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Connoisseurs'
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Wilfred
Wong -
Wine
Spectator -
James
Suckling
Product Details
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Fresh, ripe and fairly complex on the nose with a temperate, but incisive streak of herbs and grass and a deft touch of oak working in consort with its ample, very continuous fruit, this lovely effort puts its cards face up on the table for all to see. While impeccably balanced and sure to provide delicious drinking for many years, it is an outgoing and wonderfully polished Sauvignon Blanc with immense immediate appeal, and it demonstrates the range and the layered interest that well-made examples of the variety are capable of achieving.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Bright and pleasing, the 2015 Joseph Phelps Sauvignon Blanc offers ripe stone fruits and savory notes. The wine's rich and crisp palate pairs it well with panko-crusted English sole. (Tasted: February 16, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Spectator
Juicy lime sherbet, kiwi and pineapple flavors mingle with notes of smoke and toasted cumin in this complex and harmonious white, which delivers plenty of intensity on the spicy, peach-infused finish. Drink now. 1,500 cases made.
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James Suckling
A sauvignon blanc that shows floral character, apple pie and cloves. A full body, creamy texture and a long and sour finish.
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Joseph Phelps Vineyards is a family-owned winery committed to crafting world class, estate-grown wines. Founded in 1973 when Joe Phelps purchased a former cattle ranch near St. Helena in the Napa Valley, the winery now controls and farms nearly 375 acres of vines on eight estate vineyards in St. Helena, the Stags Leap District, Oakville, Rutherford, Oak Knoll District, Carneros and South Napa Valley. In 1999, the Phelps family added 100 acres of vineyard property near the town of Freestone on the Sonoma Coast, where Phelps now grows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Phelps is best known for its flagship Napa Valley blend of red Bordeaux varietals, Insignia, first produced in 1974. Awarded Wine Spectator's "Wine of the Year" in 2005, Insignia is widely regarded as a qualitative benchmark for California winemaking.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
St. Helena is in the heart of the Napa Valley, nestled between Calistoga to the north and Rutherford on its southern border. On its western side, the Mayacamas Mountains guard it from the cooling effects of the Pacific Ocean; to its east stand the Vaca Mountains. In conjunction, these mountain ranges serve to lock in summer daytime heat. But in the evening, cool air from the San Pablo Bay funnels up through the valley, creating very chilly nights. It isn’t uncommon for temperatures to drop 50 degrees, a shift that promotes a balance of sugar ripeness and acidity in wine grapes.
St. Helena contains a plethora of different soil types in a small area, which have been enhanced over centuries by rain runoff from both mountain ranges. Its vineyards cover a variety of terrain, spreading across the bucolic valley floor and its benchlands.
These ideal topographic and climatic growing conditions easily caught the attention of early winemaking pioneers. In fact, St. Helena is the birthplace of Napa Valley’s commercial wine industry. Dr. Crane founded his cellar in 1859, David Fulton in 1860 and Charles Krug in 1861.
Today there are no less than 400 separate vineyards planted within the 12,000 acres that make up the St. Helena appellation.
Revered most for its red wines based on Bordeaux varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, the St. Helena appellation is also a source of superior Syrah, Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc.