This is a blend of grapes sourced from several regions in California and harvested in late August before the scorching end of summer heat in 2017. The result is a spot on 2018 Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list.
Owned by Trinchero, although Joel Gott and his wife Sarah are still involved with the winemaking, this is a relatively high scorer each vintage and represents excellent value if you like tropical styles of Sauvignon Blanc.
Honeydew melon, a bit of pineapple and an undercurrent of apricot are the primary aroma notes and they are expressed with both clarity and delicacy.
The palate adds lime and ginger highlights, supported by a rich, warm mouthfeel on a medium frame. The finish is lovely terminating with lingering salinity. This wine achieves its shapely contour by sacrificing some of Sauvignon Blanc’s searing acidity but the wine is sufficiently refreshing and doesn’t cloy. The key is the graceful transition between rich midpalate and more focused finish that maintains a halo of fresh tropical fruit even as the richness condenses and the saline minerality surges.
Sumptuous and stylish but with a delicate smile, locked in sympathetic vibration with Bebel Gilberto’s Aganju
Score: 90
Price: $12 (Purchase Here and widely available in supermarkets and wine shops)
Alc: 13.9%
Exploring the Philosophy of Food and Wine 