Winemaker Notes
Seamless, seductive and beguiling, Lail's 2019 Georgia Sauvignon Blanc is medium straw color. It positively tap dances across the palate with pure flavors of tangerine, pamplemousse, and lemongrass. The flavors include honeysuckle, orange blossom, and apricot. There are the hallmark Georgia expressions of minerality, white truffle and toasted coconut filling out the remarkably long and energetic finish. This is another Georgia that flirts with perfection
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
One of the greatest examples of this variety in every vintage seems to be the Georgia cuvee from Lail. The 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Georgia is 100% Sauvignon from the Totem Estate Vineyard in Yountville, and it was fermented and aged 21 months in 70% new oak. As most great wines do, it’s absorbed every trace of new wood and offers a beautiful perfume of lemon curd, white flowers, minty herbs, chalky minerality and hints of toasted brioche. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it’s concentrated, has flawless balance, and a great finish. Give it a year or two and enjoy over the following decade. Best After 2022
-
James Suckling
This is a wonderful Georgia with a dense and very creamy texture, showing sliced apples, pears and cream. Peach and citrus, too. Full and lively, yet always present on the palate. Phenolic tension, too. Reserved at the end. From three acres. One for the cellar. Drink or hold.
-
Wine Spectator
Fresh and aromatic, with orange blossom, jasmine, lemongrass and litsea oil nuances that mingle easily with pear, Honeycrisp apple, lemon zest and tangerine on a sleek, mouthwatering frame. Delivers hints of coconut water and rooibos tea that linger on the finish. 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 Napa Valley's most historic sub-appellations, Yountville spreads through some of the valley's ideal cooler sites and enjoys success with a handful of different and significant grape varieties.
Syrah competes strongly with Cabernet Sauvignon here for optimal vineyard real estate followed by Pinot noir, Pinot blanc and Sauvignon blanc.
This sub-AVA of Napa Valley is rich in the history that makes Napa Valley what it is today, and not just for red wines. Moët & Chandon entered the California winemaking business via Yountville in 1973 with the establishment Domaine Chandon. Their goal has always been to produce top quality méthode champenoise sparkling wines.
Christian Moueix, originally responsible for managing Chateau Petrus and La Fleur-Petrus in Pomerol, arrived in Yountville in the early 1980s. He formed a partnership with Rohin Lail and Marcia Smith, inheritors of Napanook vineyard from their father John Daniel of Inglenook in Rutherford. In 1995 Moueix became sole owner of Napanook and chose the name Dominus, which today produces some of Napa’s highest scoring, age-worthy Bordeaux Blends.