Winemaker Notes
Brilliant hues of pale yellow and green present this white wine. Fresh aromas of grapefruit, kiwi, and fennel are intertwined with a vanillin thread, evidence of the element of subtle new French oak. Yellow grapefruit and lime zest flavors follow with the essence of ripe pear, while the toasted oak qualities of the barrel maturation have encouraged a round, rich mouth feel, along with the subtle creaminess of the sur-lie maturation. This is a crisp yet rich flavorful Sauvignon Blanc.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Extremely floral with grapefruit and lemon blossom aromas. Hints of stones. Medium-bodied with a dense middle palate. Green mango and lime at the end. Intense and vivid.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Hints of pencil shavings and crushed stone appear on the nose of the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc Dollarhide Estate, 16% of which was barrel-fermented in new French oak (the balance was made in stainless steel). Joined by fig and melon notes, this is a plump, medium-bodied effort, nicely rounded on the mid-palate, while retaining a sense of grapefruity freshness on the finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Like a bowl full of fresh peaches and green apples, this wine brings together an almost sweet ripeness and balancing, crisp acidity that lends a snappy, appetizing texture.
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Wine Spectator
Fragrant and succulent, with a wonderful creamy texture to the background of white peach, lemon curd, celery seed and tangerine notes, revealing hints of Himalayan salt and serious energy on the finish.
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Wine & Spirits
Tart quince and tangerine lend this wine a bit of fruit-cocktail sweetness, as does the honeydew flavor in the end. It’s fat and oily, needing a chill to focus the flavors.
St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery is a 100% Estate Grown, sustainably farmed winery located in the renowned Rutherford growing region in the heart of Napa Valley. The winery combines French chateau estate tradition with Napa Valley terroir and a focus on Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and other red Bordeaux varieties.
Committed to producing the highest quality estate wines without compromise, St. Supéry Estate Winery and Vineyards is proud to be certified Napa Green Land and Napa Green Winery. With St. Supéry’s reputation based on its valuable Napa Valley properties, a primary goal is to support biodiversity and sustainability while continuing the founding vision of a Napa Valley chateau for generations to come. St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery was founded in 1982. After a decade of researching properties with the advice from Napa Valley’s most respected vintners, the founding family purchased Dollarhide Ranch, over 1,530 acres of unplanted land high in the northeastern mountains which today is the source of St. Supéry’s distinctive estate Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. The diversity of Dollarhide’s terroir contributes to the successful farming of red and white Bordeaux varieties.
The winery in Rutherford is home to winemaking, visitor facilities, and 35 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. All the estate acreage owned by St. Supéry is farmed sustainably using minimal intervention and cultivation. In addition to being recognized for award winning wines, St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery champions wine education and exploration, offering a series of interactive wine experiences designed for all levels of wine enthusiasts.
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.