Winemaker Notes
Blend: 91% Sauvignon Blanc, 9% Semillon
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Hourglass Sauvignon Blanc is an excellent wine with a clear focus on the grape's inherent qualities. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows up with aromas and flavors of dried herbs, rustic spices, and ripe citrus. Pair it with panko-coated, pan-fried Petrale. (Tasted: November 24, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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Jeb Dunnuck
Based on 95% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Semillon, the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc is a charmer, with up-front citrus, lime, and pink grapefruit notes as well as a clean, lively, nicely balanced, fruit-forward style on the palate. It's going to be incredibly versatile on the dinner table and keep for a year or so.
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 Napa Valley’s oldest wine growing subregions but last to gain appellation status, Calistoga occupies the northernmost section of the valley. Beginning at the foot of Mount St. Helena, its vineyards stretch over steep canyons and roll out onto the valley floor. The soils in Calistoga are volcanic, which means they are heavy in minerals, low in organic matter and allow good drainage for vine roots, creating less green growth and more concentration of flavor within the grape berries.
Summer days are very hot but most nights cool down with moist ocean breezes sneaking in over the Mayacamas Mountains or from Knights Valley to its northwest.
Cabernet Sauvignon is the area’s star variety with Zinfandel coming in a strong second, though the latter commands far less price per tonnage so continues to be outshined by Cabernet in vineyard acreage, save for some important exceptions.