Winemaker Notes
With a name meaning "out of" in Latin, EX speaks to Wrath's focus on expressing the personality and characteristics of their Certified Sustainable (SIP) estate vineyard. They harvest grapes at two different ripeness levels and then blend to a portion of each lot together to create a wine that encapsulates the best qualities of each lot. The 2020 EX Sauvignon Blanc is bright and refreshing with pronounced white grapefruit and crisp acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Extremely grassy and seaweed-like aromas kick off the nose of this botttling, with dried lemon rind, chiseled stone and singed lime-peel elements also at play. There's a great grip to the palate, where jalapeño and lime flavors float atop the smashed stone minerality.
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 geographic and climatic paradise for grape vines, Monterey is a part of the greater Central Coast AVA and contains within it five smaller sub-appellations, including Arroyo Seco, San Lucas, San Bernabe, Hames Valley and the famous Santa Lucia Highlands. The climate is relatively warm but tempered by cool, coastal winds, allowing the regions in Monterey County an exceptionally long growing season. Bud break often happens two weeks sooner and harvest tends to be two weeks later compared to other surrounding regions.
Monterey’s coastal side, where the cooling ocean fog allows grapes to develop a perfect sugar-acid balance, excels in the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. Warmer, inland subzones are home to fleshy, concentrated and full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel.
Chardonnay, covering about 40% of vineyard acreage, is the most widely planted grape in all of Monterey County.