Winemaker Notes
This Cuvee is our premium Sauvignon Blanc and our best expression of the varietal. Produced entirely from select blocks of grapes grown here on our estate, we hand harvest the fruit and leave the free-run juice in contact with the skins for up to 6 hours. To preserve the varietal character of the grape, we age the wine "Au Naturel" in stainless steel. This Cuvee undergoes five months of sur-lie aging prior to racking, resulting in the gorgeous mouthfeel, compelling minerality, and long-term ageability for which this wine is renowned.
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.
Today it is an integral part of the greater Santa Barbara County wine region, but at one time the village, Los Olivos, was a stop on the Wells Fargo stagecoach line.