Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Jay Heminway planted the Catacula Vineyard halfway up his hillside estate in Chiles Valley, focusing on the musqué clone of sauvignon blanc. His 2015 is a distinctive wine that gains in stature for days after its initial sweetness begins to fade, and bright, crunchy freshness takes its place. We spent a considerable amount of time trying to describe the flavors of this wine. It reminded Luke Sykora, our California wine editor, of winter melon in a moon cake; it reminded me of jasmine, peppery green olive oil and bitter melon. There’s nothing grassy or passion-fruity about it. Instead, it offers a glassy transparency, a wine that’s delicious and remarkably pleasant to drink.
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Wine Spectator
Supple, rich and expressive, with succulent apricot, lemon curd and ripe peach flavors, showing just a hint of lanolin, honeysuckle and smoke. The supple body is kept lively by crisp acidity. Drink now.
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.