Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Ever since this wine debuted in 1981, I became an instant fan of the Frog's Leap Sauvignon Blancs. The 2016 vintage is as good as the wine has ever been. It is fresh, racy-good, and redolent of pure dried citrus fruit. The wine's slight wildness—The French would say "sauvage," and this is a beautiful thing for it brings purity to mind. TASTING NOTES: Vibrant straw, green color; bright citrus peel, tension-packed minerality, and dried herbs in the aromas and flavors; medium bodied, excellent bite on the palate; dry, racy acidity, well-balanced; bright citrus and herbs flavors, frisky aftertaste. Pair it with lime-accented ceviche. (Tasted: February 6, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine & Spirits
Richer and more unctuous than most recent releases of sauvignon from Frog’s Leap, this wine still holds its freshness over the course of several days. John Williams and his team farm organically, without irrigation, which resulted in a particularly concentrated wine in 2016. Its flavors transform from lime and beeswax toward passion fruit, with hints of toast from long aging on the lees. Clean and lasting, the flavor and texture would complement roast arctic char or other rich fish.
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Wine Spectator
Richer and more unctuous than most recent releases of sauvignon from Frog’s Leap, this wine still holds its freshness over the course of several days. John Williams and his team farm organically, without irrigation, which resulted in a particularly concentrated wine in 2016. Its flavors transform from lime and beeswax toward passion fruit, with hints of toast from long aging on the lees. Clean and lasting, the flavor and texture would complement roast arctic char or other rich fish.
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.