Winemaker Notes
Intense and lifted aromas of lemon-lime, grapefruit, passionfruit, and green apple highlight the 2021 Santa Ynez Valley Sauvignon Blanc. The cool conditions during the growing season created an energetic wine with bright, zippy acidity. Expressive candied lemon, pink grapefruit, and passionfruit flavors lead to a chalky mineral finish. This is one of our favorite releases of this wine in recent memory. This year's release was sourced entirely from Purisima Mountain Vineyard, which makes it biodynamic.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Fragrant and expressive, with lemongrass, lemon verbena and matcha notes that find harmony with lemon-lime, ruby grapefruit and lemon sherbet flavors at the core. Gains intensity on the juicy finish. Drink now.
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.
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.