Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Crisp, dry and searing in acidity, this 100% varietal wine is complex, showing sour lemon and brine notes, with orange blossom tones weaving their way throughout. A delight on the palate, the wine takes on structured weight toward the finish, making sure to leave an impression.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2014 Bodkin Musque Clone Sauvignon Blanc deftly balances the intense flavors—dried herbs, savory earth, and black olives—with the user-friendly characteristics of the grape—ripe melon and core fruits. Not wanting to be merely a wine for everyone the winery has produced a high acid, food-friendly that will appeal to wine geeks as well as neophytes to wine imbibing. Drinks well now. (Tasted: August 22, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
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.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.