Gamble Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2018
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Wilfred
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Winemaker Notes
Refreshingly crisp and dry, brimming with tropical citrus and minerality. A balanced rich, round mouthfeel. This wine has inspiring aromas of lemon zest, key lime, white peach and almond alongside delicate white floral notes. Bursts of Meyer lemon, green apple, honey blossom and wet slate dominate the palate while introducing hints of lemon curd and fresh-baked brioche on the long finish. We recommend you enjoy this bottle poolside, perhaps with crispy fish tacos or a fresh, green summer salad.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Offers intriguing, distinctive notes of candied ginger and marmalade, with a whiff of beeswax up front, leading to a mouthwatering, fresh mix of Asian pear, white grapefruit and peach flavors. Appealingly precise, with deft acidity imparting focus. Refreshing finish. Drink now through 2029.
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Wine Enthusiast
Fermented and aged in both French barrels and stainless steel, this white is fresh and lively, offering textured layers of green apple and Meyer lemon. It has a pungent floral component that further brightens the nose and long-lasting palate of wet stone and grip.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Gamble Family Vineyards is bright, zesty, and lingering. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows a lot of upsides. Its aromas and flavors exhibit dried leather, wild herbs, and dried citrus that stay long and zesty through the wine's finish. Enjoy with fresh salmon sashimi. (Tasted: February 20, 2020, Yountville, CA)
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With 100 years of agriculture in Napa, it comes as no surprise that the heart and soul of Gamble Family Vineyards is deeply rooted in the soil. Founded by third-generation farmer Tom Gamble in 2005, Gamble Family Vineyards owns prime estate vineyards in many of Napa’s most respected AVAs—Oakville, Mt. Veeder, Rutherford and Yountville. Its winery and by invitation-only tasting room have a quiet presence, sitting modestly in an isolated nook off Highway 29 in the heart of Napa Valley’s Oakville AVA. Set back from the main road, Gamble’s mission here is to carry on the heritage of farming that his ancestors sowed when they came to Napa as cattle ranchers in 1916. They left with him a legacy of deep and abiding affinity for the land from which came not only their livelihood, but also a life full of purpose.
Having shadowed his father on the family ranches as a child, Tom has had a hand in the land since an early age. In 1981, at the age of 20, he purchased his first vineyard with several partners, making him the first Gamble to begin growing grapes commercially. “Given this legacy, one does not continue farming for dispassionate reasons alone—there are easier ways to make a living. And thus, taking the next step and putting my name on a bottle of wine does not come lightly,” says Gamble.
Winemaker Jim Close follows Gamble Family Vineyards’ mission of producing wines that seamlessly bring together elegance, balance, nuance, with good structure and moderate alcohol, while embracing and highlighting the characteristics Napa Valley terroir imparts on the wines. Jim Close began his winemaking career in the southern Languedoc region of France, and has made every bottle of Gamble Family Vineyards wine since 2005.
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.