Winemaker Notes
Blend: 71% Sauvignon Blanc Musqué, 29% Sauvignon Blanc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
So much complex pear blossom, peaches, Meyer lemon, pineapple and snap peas. Full bodied with a layered, phenolic texture and a tangy and vivid finish. Some flint at the end. 3.3 pH. Really zesty. Grows in the glass. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification.
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Wine Spectator
Bottled just a month before this tasting, the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is another perfumed, exotic white revealing bright lime and honeyed citrus aromatics, some mint herb nuances, medium body, bright acidity, and a clean, focused finish. It has a more subtly rounded mid-palate compared to the 2021 but still plays in this vibrant, focused style beautifully.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Sauvignon Blanc spent 12 months on the lees in a mix of stainless steel eggs (23%), concrete eggs (12%), used oak barrels (33%) and new oak barrels (32%). A hint of pencil shavings accents the aromas of grapefruit, gooseberries and nectarines on the nose, while the medium-bodied palate is plump and slightly creamy, culminating in a long, mouthwatering 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.
One of the world's most highly regarded regions for wine production as well as tourism, the Napa Valley was responsible for bringing worldwide recognition to California winemaking. In the 1960s, a few key wine families settled the area and hedged their bets on the valley's world-class winemaking potential—and they were right.
The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980s, when producers scooped up vineyard lands and planted vines throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, and today Napa is home to hundreds of producers ranging from boutique to corporate. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux blends. White wines from Napa Valley are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that claim specific wine characteristics based on situation, slope and soil. Farthest south and coolest from the influence of the San Pablo Bay is Carneros, followed by Coombsville to its northeast and then Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford. Above those are the warm St. Helena and the valley's newest and hottest AVA, Calistoga. These areas follow the valley floor and are known generally for creating rich, dense, complex and smooth red wines with good aging potential. The mountain sub appellations, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs, include Stags Leap District, Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley (farther east), Howell Mountain, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Diamond Mountain District. Napa Valley wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from a lot of time in the bottle to evolve and soften.