Winemaker Notes
This Sauvignon Blanc bottling was produced entirely from grapes grown on Brander's estate. Their favorite lot from the vintage is selected based on aromatics, concentration, and acidity. Stainless steel fermentation and eight months of sur-lie aging results in a richer mouthfeel, compelling minerality, luscious flavors, and the age-ability for which this wine is renowned.
Cut grass, dark green herbs and yellow apple aromas show on the nose of this bottling. It's very lean on the palate with a zippy, energetic acidity that cuts right through the cement, crushed stone and serrano flavors, engaging the palate on all sides.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A layered and nuanced wine that's generous in flavor, clean and well balanced. Vivid citrus and tropical fruit is interlaced with mineral and flint accents on a good, crisp texture. Nicely braced in acidity, full-bodied and well concentrated.
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Vinous
The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc Au Naturel is 100% Sauvignon Blanc done with skin contact and aged in steel. Bright, crisp and expressive, the 2022 has quite a bit to offer. Sage, mint, tomato leaf and citrus linger on the polished, vibrant finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc Au Naturel brings more density and breadth, with ripe lemon, tart pineapple, and honeyed mineral and spicy nuances in its medium-bodied, nicely concentrated style. It's another impeccably made wine from this team.
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.