Winemaker Notes
The 1981 Frog's Leap Sauvignon Blanc is what we feel a Sauvignon Blanc should be. It is a dry wine of substantial scale that carries itself well, as it retains a delicacy to compliment food, not overwhelm." These are the words that we chose to introduce our Sauvignon Blanc, and in fact, our winery to the world. Dubbed a "Prince of a Wine" by the New York Times in 1982, this wine set a course that hasn't veered much from its original ideals. Today this wine is still made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc grapes and done so in such a way that the alcohol is kept low, the acidity high, and the flavors crisp and refreshing. In fact, the only changes we've made along the way have been in pursuit of a noble quest: to make a Sauvignon Blanc that is so indicative of the place in which it is grown that it could come from nowhere else.
Each of the Sauvignon Blancs Frog's Leap has made during the past few years embodies the fine-tuning we've done along this journey. A little Semillon was added to the blend in 1992 but was taken out a few years later. The wine became 100 percent stainless-steel fermented and aged in the late '90s. It began to carry the Rutherford appellation in 2001. And in 2002 it began to be made exclusively from dry-farmed, organically grown vineyards. From all of this we have learned a simple lesson: the less we interfere in the cellar with the perfectly grown clusters, the more beautiful the wine becomes.
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.