Winemaker Notes
Dancing Crow Vineyards' Sancerre-style Sauvignon Blanc from Lake County, CA, showcases a unique blend of New World and Old World influences, with citrus and stone fruit flavors supporting nicely-balanced acidity and a hint of minerality on the finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is lush, with aromas of passionfruit, melon, peach and orange-blossom honey on the nose. The flavors on the palate are candied orange slices and grapefruit zest, marbled with layers of nectarine, herbs and lime-vanilla cream, with a zesty finish. Enjoy with roasted pork shoulder with grilled peaches.
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Tasting Panel
Faint floral aromas get things off to a good start before giving way to predominant flavors of citrus and white melon that in turn lead to a hint of minerality on the finish. This wine offers welcome relief from the American renditions of Sauvignon Blanc that try too hard for complexity and sacrifice simple deliciousness in the process.
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James Suckling
A fresh and fruity white that has pears, lemons and apple blossoms on the nose, followed by a creamy and medium-bodied palate.
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 warm inland area just north of Napa Valley, Lake County represents a new frontier for California winemaking. While Prohibition halted viticulture here just as it did in so many California regions, winemaking activity remained fairly insignificant for a few decades longer than others. Finally in the 1990s Lake County Sauvignon blanc—uniquely savory and fruity—earned the appellation a renewed reputation.
Lake County is comprised of a handful of unique American Viticultural Areas (AVAs).
Vineyards that settle into the hills on the west side of Clear Lake create the Clear Lake AVA and produce good quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc and Zinfandel.
Recently the Red Hills AVA, located within the boundaries of the Clear Lake AVA, has become the focus of some of Napa’s more respected growers. Its notable volcanic and obsidian-based soils could be the source of California’s next best Cabernet Sauvignons. Andy Beckstoffer, a leader in recognizing prime Napa Valley vineyard locales, has already invested heavily in the area.
Guenoc Valley AVA produces fine examples of Petite Sirah, recognized for their voluptuous aromas of clove, cocoa, tobacco and deep red and blue berry flavors.
The High Valley AVA sits northeast of Clear Lake. This warm area boasts multiple soil types allowing growers a lot of flexibility and experimentation with grape varieties. While Sauvignon blanc is a mainstay, this zone excels with Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, as well as other less common varieties like Barbera and Tempranillo.