Broman Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2013
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So, it's no surprise that after making wine for other folks for 31 years, Bob would realize his lifelong dream of making his own Napa Valley wines, appropriately labeled, Broman Cellars. The inaugural release was a beautiful 1994 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon consisting of an entire 148 cases.
Today, Broman Cellars is a family passion with daughter Lisa also working side by side with Bob handling the sales, marketing and day-to-day operations. Production is around a whopping 1,000 cases consisting of small, ultra-premium, hand-crafted lots of Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Bob and his wife, Deborah, have received their winery permit and are drawing plans for the facility. The Broman winery will be located on the property shared with the Broman home on 11 1/2 acres on Deer Park Road in St. Helena. In the interim, they are remodeling the house and caring for their two acre cabernet vineyard.
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.
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.