Winemaker Notes
Here the subtlest shade of pale straw radiates with a purity that seems to first absorb and then reflect back all the light in the room. The sensory dance continues with pristine aromas of white peach, orange blossom, honeysuckle, and lemongrass, all seamlessly integrated into a fragrant and harmonious whole. Tasting the wine reveals a burst of grapefruit, with lychee, tangerine, and rainier cherry, followed by a subtle minerality. However, what distinguishes this wine from other Sauvignon Blancs is its texture; all at once light yet rich in mouthfeel throughout with a lingering and refreshing acidity.
Sauvignon Blanc has a place at the table all year long. Spring and summer come to mind first with fresh veggies, fruits, ceviche, oysters, grilled white fish, poultry and anything else light and refreshing. And then the wonderful truth is that fall and winter also provide ample opportunity to celebrate this delightful varietal. The trick is to seek purity and balance in your winter flavors, where you taste each component on the plate, such as herbed potatoes, fried chicken, whole baked fish and the like, all hearty but well delineated. Fun to explore all year round!
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.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.