Winemaker Notes
Mason Cellars was founded in Oakville, California in 1993 by Randy and Megan Mason whose vision is to produce the highest quality wine possible that is consumer friendly, and available to their customers at a fair market price. Their goal is to create wines that can be readily enjoyed and shared by family and friends. With over 40 years of winemaking in the Napa Valley, Randy is the master behind the wine.
Randy Mason has long been recognized by the wine industry as being one of the best Sauvignon Blanc producers in the country. A pioneer in California Sauvignon Blanc, the Mason Sauvignon Blanc has set the standard for domestic producers to strive for, with this wine being named as part of Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2017 for the 2016 vintage, amongst other impressive accolades.
Building on the success and groundwork laid by the Mason Sauvignon Blanc, Randy and Megan started to develop a Sauvignon Blanc house with the launch of Pomelo in 2004. A fun and playful spin on California Sauvignon Blanc; Pomelo is a wild success among consumers and press alike. After listening to his customers and distributors, Mason decided to produce their first ever Pinot Grigio in 2009 called Three Pears, a name inspired after their three children.
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.