Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
584 years later, I first heard this story in Mr. Alberty's English Literature class at Washington High in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Bravery and brotherhood, arrows and axes, stirring speeches and a smoking hot French princess--the play Henry V had everything an 18 year old nerdling could have wanted--I was hooked. The play's most famous quote ''We few, we happy few'' has been my motto since I started working my way up through world of wine production in 2003. This 2011 Sauvignon Blanc marks my first commercial release and I hope you enjoy drinking this wine as much I enjoyed the journey of making it...Yay-yay-yay, I know it sounds cliché, but I mean it...Cheers!"
Christopher Christensen Winesmith, HMIC
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.
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.