Description
Winemaking Notes: This wine is focused on purity of fruit; it is a flip book of the varietal as it ripens on our Rutherford estate. We capture different snapshots of the grape’s character by making multiple picking passes during harvest. For textural and aromatic depth, grapes are harvested by hand at various ripeness levels and gently pressed as whole clusters at low pressures. The first pick captures the naturally bright acidity and citrus flavors, while the second pick is considered optimal ripeness highlighting the varietal, and the last pick is the ripest bringing tropical notes. Fermentations are slow and cool enhancing aromatic concentration and a bright palate. All of this helps us achieve our mission to highlight the freshness of the grapes’ aromas and preserve a crisp clean mouthfeel.
Tasting Notes: This Sauvignon Blanc offers incredible tropical notes of guava, passion fruit, and mango upon first swirl. Hints of lemon zest, citrus blossom and honeydew melon balance out the nose, enticing the palate. Juicy, concentrated flavors of white peach and lychee are complemented with a touch of citrus. Rich and round, this wine’s crisp acidity leaves a fresh, clean finish with lingering fruit notes making this a wine you’ll reach for sip after sip.
Vintage & Viticulture: The 2023 vintage marked the end of our three-year drought, bringing nearly 30” of rainfall that contributed to the revitalization of our soil profiles and fostering robust canopy growth. The vintage was one of the mildest in the last 10 years which provided a long hangtime, allowing full flavor development leading to very expressive flavors and aromas. As soon as the fruit set after flowering, extensive hand work began in the vineyard opening the canopy to allow for full sun exposure on the fruit. This leads to full, concentrated flavor and ensures the fruit is as expressive as possible. The 2023 vintage will be one for the ages and we feel these wines truly capture the exceptional year.
winemaker: Jeff Plant
consulting winemaker: Thomas Rivers Brown
varietals: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
fermentation: 5 months, 100% stainless steel
release date: January 2024
