Nose
Our 2016 Napa Valley Reserve Selection Sauvignon Blanc opens
with inviting aromas of kaffir lime and guava with hints of
honeysuckle.
Palate
Flavors of stone fruits and gooseberry are accented
with a touch of lemongrass offering a crisp minerality to balance the
creamy mid-palate and nice acidity.
Growing Conditions
Our Reserve Selection Sauvignon Blanc grapes come from two
vineyards in two main areas within the Napa Valley - the
southeastern portion of the valley on our Jameson Canyon Estate
and a small vineyard in Yountville. The grapes sourced from
Jameson Canyon, just east of Carneros, spend afternoons in
temperatures warmer than the valley floor, but the mornings and
evenings are spent in fog with cool, marine breezes ultimately
helping to evenly ripen the grapes. This area is ideal for producing
Sauvignon Blanc with crisp, clean mineral flavors with hints of
melon. The Yountville vineyard provided both the Sauvignon Blanc
and the Semillon. We used the Sauvignon Blanc clones 1, 376 and
Musque; 376 and Musque being known for their floral aromatics.
The 2016 vintage across California was a near-perfect growing
season. A mild winter and spring led to a steady mild July and
August, followed by warm days at the end of the season for the
perfect ripeness. With warm days and cool nights in the summer,
grape growers were able to maintain ideal acid levels with balanced,
concentrated fruit flavors.
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Harvest
The Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon in this
Reserve wine were picked between August 26th and September 24th
Aging
After whole cluster pressing the grapes, the juice was fermented in
100% French Oak (mostly Seguin Moreau, Dargaud and Jaegle
barrels) to balance the bright fruit with a subtle unctuosity. Stirring
the lees gives the wine a creamier mid palate. This wine stayed in
barrel for only 4 months. This produces a wine with crisp acidity
and captures the flinty, citrus aroma and flavor characteristics of this
versatile variety.
