Winemaker Notes
This Sauvignon Blanc is unique and may be easiest to understand by comparing it to other known Sauvignon Blanc regions in the world. Cep Sauvignon Blanc does not have the gooseberry, fruity sweetness found in New Zealand wines nor the melon-inflected fatness of most California Sauvignon Blanc. It is also not grassy like a typical Sancerre but there is bright acidity and mineral, citrus, and herbal notes you sometimes find in those wines. It is utterly unique, likely due to the singularity of the block of old vine Sauvignon Blanc we buy from Bob Hopkins.
The nose on the 2023 Hopkins features pomelo, grapefruit, and lime citrus aromas with a limestone, wet concrete note.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Bottled under screwcap, the 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Hopkins Ranch pours a pale silver straw color and has a bright, elegant, floral and tropical feel, offering notes of guava, quince, white grapefruit, and saline. Coming from 45-year-old vines, it’s medium-bodied and has a great, refreshing feel, with a lovely saline freshness, a note of dewy earth, and a clean finish. Highly refreshing and versatile, it has a great Sancerre-like application with a chalky texture. Drink over the next few years.
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Wine Enthusiast
The nose of this Sauvignon Blanc is fresh and lively, giving aromas of pithy lime, lemon blossom and river rock. The palate brings vibrating acidity with layers of pomelo, lemon and grapefruit flavors and a clean finish with echoes of flowers and spice.
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Vinous
The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Hopkins Ranch is flat-out delicious. Bright and brisk, with plenty of varietal character, the 2023 shows the green, grassy side of Sauvignon Blanc, but also has enough textural pliancy to keep the wine from being austere. Delicious.
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.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.