Winemaker Notes
Blend: 82% Sauvignon Blanc, 18% Semillon
Professional Ratings
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Can a wine be both beautiful and serious? Of course, and the 2014 Brander Cuvée Nicolas is such a wine. This wine shows alluring aromas of ripe core fruit and sweet fruit—a note of hazelnut adds to the wine's complexity. On the palate, there are lush textures and a creaminess that tie it all together. This would be excellent with mildly spiced Tex-Mex cuisine. Drinks well now. (Tasted: July 12, 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.
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.