Winemaker Notes
Blend: 75% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Semillon
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, with one-quarter Semillon, this white blend was aged on the lees in oak barrels. It shows the balanced elegance this bottling by Brander usually displays. Entirely dry, with a crisp burst of acidity, its flavors are of citrus fruits, white flowers, vanilla, minerals and a touch of tart, New Zealand-style gooseberry. Great with roast pork or, if you can get it, wild boar.
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Wine Spectator
Wonderfully rich and fragrant, showing lemon curd, apricot marmalade and sweet pea notes, with hints of smoke that expand on the finish. To balance all the richness, a wonderfully bright, crisp acidity runs through the backbone. Drink now through 2014. 377 cases made.
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.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.