Santa Barbara Winery Santa Ynez Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2008
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Taking advantage of a more traditional climate for this grape than our cool climate Lafond Vineyard, Bruce is also mindful of the importance of carrying on the style he developed over the years from the Musque clone of Sauvignon Blanc previously grown at our vineyard.
McGinley and Grassini Vineyards are located in Santa Barbara's newest appellation, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, a warmer area known for producing exceptional Bordeaux varietals.
The 2008 vintage also contains 8% Riesling from Fess Parker's Camp 4 Vineyard, which adds a tropical fruit accent. Roughly 40% of the fruit comes from vines in excess of 36 years old, lending depth and concentration.
Bruce barrel fermented 20% of the juice in puncheons to give texture to the lean character of this wine without compromising the racy acids naturally found in Sauvignon Blanc.
Our Sauvignon Blanc is a perfect wine to pair with light or spicy foods found in Pacific Rim cuisine, a favorite with the Thai cuisine we find at Zen Yai restaurant located near the winery on State Street.
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A beautiful Sauvignon Blanc that shows why this warmish Santa Barbara County valley is such a natural home for the variety. With crisp acidity and a creamy texture, it's dry and minerally, with interestingly rich flavors of citrus fruits, melons and pears, and a touch of smoky oak. Editors' Choice.
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In 1962, Pierre Lafond re-established Santa Barbara County's winemaking tradition by founding Santa Barbara Winery. The winery was the first since prohibition and is part of an association that has grown to 40 wineries located in Santa Barbara County. In the early years, Pierre made wine from purchased fruit, but soon realized the potential for premium wine made from Santa Barbara County grapes. In 1971, he purchased land in the western Santa Ynez Valley and began planting what is now a 95 acre vineyard. Today, annual production is around 32,000 cases.
Bruce McGuire was working as a winemaker in the Sacramento Delta in 1981 when Pierre Lafond invited him to take over the winemaking operation at Santa Barbara Winery. Since then, the winery has produced world class red and white wines. Bruce's winemaking philosophy begins in the vineyard. He believes the quality and integrity of the wine is inextricably linked to what happens in the field — from the pruning in the winter, to the harvest in the autumn.
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.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.