Winemaker Notes
This wine is crafted using a combination of cigare barrels, developed specifically for Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire, and stainless steel tanks, with the barrels contributing weight and mouthfeel while the stainless steel preserves a steely minerality, and sourced entirely from the musqué clone of Sauvignon Blanc, it displays vibrant notes of melon, mango skin, and citrus balanced with lively acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Made entirely from the more perfumed musqué clone of Sauvignon Blanc and partially aged in cigar barrels, the 2024 Sauvignon Blanc is a bright silver straw hue and offers a refreshing lift in its notes of quince, white peach, salted grapefruit, and lime cordial. Medium-bodied, it has a lovely, even feel with a refreshing, even finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Fermented in tank and barrel, the 2024 Sauvignon Blanc is scented of white peach, green guava, tarragon, panna cotta and lily. The medium-bodied palate pairs tropical flavors with a pleasing, mouth-coating texture. It’s balanced by refreshing acidity and has a long, flavorful finish.
The winery’s objectives are:
To channel the fruit of ancient vines into powerful, elegant, and distinctly Californian wines.
To spread the gospel of Syrah in California by sourcing fruit from great terroirs throughout the North Coast.
To proclaim the greatness of Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon by sparing no expense on wines of uniqueness and personality.
To reclaim rose’ from the excesses of saignee and focus on precision, delicacy, aromatics, and food friendliness.
To make fascinating and quixotic white wines from unique sites and interesting varietals.
To dream big but keep production low!
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.
Perhaps the most historically significant appellation in Sonoma County, the Sonoma Valley is home to both Buena Vista winery, California's oldest commercial winery, and Gundlach Bundschu winery, California's oldest family-run winery.
It is also one of the more geologically and climactically diverse districts. The valley includes and overlaps four distinct Sonoma County sub-appellations, including Carneros, Moon Mountain District, Sonoma Mountain and Bennett Valley. With mountains, benchlands, plains, abundant sunshine and the cooling effects of the nearby Pacific, this appellation can successfully produce a wide range of grape varieties. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, and most notably, Zinfandel all thrive here. Ancient Zinfandel vines over 100 years old produce small crops of concentrated, spicy fruit, which in turn make some of the Valley's most unique wines. These can also be made as “field blends” (wines made from a mix of grape varieties grown in the same vineyard) along with Petite Sirah, Carignan and Alicante Bouschet.