Winemaker Notes
-Wine & Spirits
Straw green in color. Aromas of citrus fruit and mid palate with a broad finish. This. wine is fresh and grassy with distinctive Sauvignon Blanc character.
Our Slusser Road vineyard in the cool Russian River Valley is the source for this wine. The vineyard is a divided canopy planted on deep Rocky Clay Loam. This is a low to no irrigation vineyard. We have returned to estate status this year. Production is up as an additional 15 acres came on line and yields in our oldest blocks rebounded after a meager 2004. This year marks the inclusion of significant amounts of ENTAV clone 317 and the Sauvignon Musque clone. The majority of the vineyard remains planted to clone 1-familiar but very high quality.
Under Christine Hanna’s guidance, the winery has evolved into an estate philosophy that blends the viticultural diversity of fruit cultivated in its four vineyard estates in three unique appellations. With the help of winemaker Jeff Hinchliffe, they craft award-winning wines, such as its Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc and Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
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.