Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Happy Canyon features white peach, lime peel, lemongrass and tarragon aromas with a streak of stony character. The medium-bodied palate is fresh, gently weighty and generous with layers of candied citrus, tropical fruit and herbal undertones on the long finish. Best After 2022
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James Suckling
A blend of three different vineyards with sliced lemon, grass and green melon. Medium body with bright acidity. Long and crisp. Edgy and bright. Aged 8 months in used wood. Drink or hold.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Starting with the 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Happy Canyon, which is all Sauvignon Blanc, mostly from the Grassini Family Vineyard, this light gold-hued effort offers classic Bordeaux Blanc-like notes of crushed citrus, honeyed minerality, white flowers, and a touch of brioche. It's medium-bodied, vibrant, wonderfully balanced, and has a great finish.
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.
On the eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley, the rolling hills of the tiny Happy Canyon AVA produce top quality reds from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and whites from Sauvignon blanc. The region’s low-nutrient soil grows smaller vines and in turn, higher quality wine grapes.