Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A fruity white with aromas of pineapple, grapefruit, green apple and melon. It’s medium-to full-bodied with tangy acidity and a medium finish.
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Tasting Panel
Tart lemon and white grapefruit zing out of the glass, enlightened by tarragon and pea tendrils. Just-ripened pineapple and melon lend more crispness to this fresh, balanced white. Aged 85% in barrel and 15% in stainless steel.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2020 Schug Sauvignon Blanc offers prototypical attractive characteristics of this grape variety. TASTING NOTES: This wine flourishes with aromas and flavors of dried fig, earth, and tart citrus. Enjoy it with a bowl of steamed clams. (Tasted: September 11, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Spectator
Lemon-lime and green apple flavors are vibrant and refreshing, with hints of lemongrass and orange blossom on the finish.
Schug Winery was founded in 1980 with unwavering dedication to Pinot Noir excellence—a specialization that spans 45 years and sets them apart from generalist wineries. Walter Schug, the legendary winemaker who created Joseph Phelps' iconic Insignia, established his legacy in Carneros, where low-intervention Old World winemaking meets California terroir.
Today, 5th-generation German winemaker Johannes Scheid continues this authentic heritage with wines that consistently score 90+ points across their entire portfolio. Johannes trained at Walter's alma mater in Germany, bringing multi-generational European winemaking expertise to their sustainable California practices.
What makes Schug exceptional is their genuine commitment to specialization and authenticity. While others spread their focus across multiple varietals, they've perfected their craft with nearly half a century devoted to exceptional Pinot Noir. This deep expertise, combined with their European winemaking tradition and compelling value proposition, has driven their national expansion and established Schug as a trusted name among wine enthusiasts who appreciate both heritage and quality.
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.
A vast appellation covering Sonoma County’s Pacific coastline, the Sonoma Coast AVA runs all the way from the Mendocino County border, south to the San Pablo Bay. The region can actually be divided into two sections—the actual coastal vineyards, marked by marine soils, cool temperatures and saline ocean breezes—and the warmer, drier vineyards further inland, which are still heavily influenced by the Pacific but not quite with same intensity.
Contained within the appellation are the much smaller Fort Ross-Seaview and Petaluma Gap AVAs.
The Sonoma Coast is highly regarded for elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, increasingly, cool-climate Syrah. The wines have high acidity, moderate alcohol, firm tannin, and balanced ripeness.