Winemaker Notes
#32 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2021
Inspired by the Sauvignon wines of northern Italy, Massican Sauvignon Blanc pays homage to the tart and delicious everyday wine workhorse of the region of Friuli. While it is difficult to recreate these specific Italian wines anywhere else in the world, Sauvignon is their California interpretation of these great Italian white wines. The grapes for this wine are farmed at two vineyards in Napa Valley where the temperatures are both the warmest during the day and the coolest at night. That diversity helps us produce a wine of intensity and freshness, and as such they tip-their-Sauvignon-hat to their fellow winemakers in northeast Italy.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Made from fruit grown in Pope Valley and Carneros, this is a lifted, elegant and persistently fresh white. It was whole-cluster pressed then barrel fermented with indigenous yeast and aged for six months. A flinty palate presents flavors of wet stone, cucumber and ocean spray.
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Wine Spectator
This vibrant white offers a sleek and mouthwatering mix of pomelo, Meyer lemon, sea salt, lime zest, dried lemongrass and pineapple flavors that are intense, seamless and memorable on the long finish.
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.