Winemaker Notes
The Estate Sauvignon Blanc is done in the Bordeaux style, with the inclusion of Sémillon in the final blend.
Blend: 94% Sauvignon Blanc, 6% Semillon
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The light gold-hued 2019 Estate Blanc checks in as 94% Sauvignon Blanc and 6% Semillon, vinified and aged in a mix of concrete, used barrels, and new French oak. Gorgeous white grapefruit, ripe lemon, and chalky mineral notes give way to a medium to full-bodied, ripe, yet racy, chiseled white that will evolve for 15 years or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Estate is composed of 94% Sauvignon Blanc and 6% Semillon. The nose features notes of fresh peaches and green guava with hints of struck match and honeysuckle, plus a waft of elderflower. Medium-bodied, elegant and refreshing, it coats the palate with stone and tropical fruit layers, with a long minerally finish.
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.
Today Cabernet Sauvignon is the star of this part of Napa’s rugged, eastern hills, but Zinfandel was responsible for giving the Howell Mountain growing area its original fame in the late 1800s.
Winemaking in Howell Mountain was abandoned during Prohibition, and wasn’t reawakened until the arrival of Randy Dunn, a talented winemaker famous for the success of Caymus in the 1970s and 1980s. In the early eighties, he set his sights on the Napa hills and subsequently astonished the wine world with a Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Shortly thereafter Howell Mountain became officially recognized as the first sub-region of Napa Valley (1983).
With vineyards at 1,400 to 2,000 feet in elevation, they predominantly sit above the fog line but the days in Howell Mountain remain cooler than those in the heart of the valley, giving the grapes a bit more time on the vine.
The Howell Mountain AVA includes 1,000 acres of vineyards interspersed by forestlands in the Vaca Mountains. The soils, shallow and infertile with good drainage, are volcanic ash and red clay and produce highly concentrated berries with thick skins. The resulting wines are full of structure and potential to age.
Today Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah thrive in this sub-appellation, as well as its founding variety, Zinfandel.