Current Release
2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Grassini Family Vineyard
Grassini is a stalwart in our portfolio and one of the true stars of Happy Canyon. We have made wine here since 2008, and the vineyard always delivers. We have three blocks in which we employ special pruning, canopy management (dappled light leafing on the afternoon side of the rows) and crop load strategies, and we limit irrigation to keep plant balance at lower yields. We harvest, press and ferment each block (or portion of a block) separately in a mixture of French oak barrels stainless steel. The result is highly complex, expressive wine that simply screams Grassini.
The 2018 wine was crafted from our favorite French oak barrels (88%) and stainless steel. (12%). 20% of the barrels were new. The wine was aged on its lees for 15 months before bottling. The wine shows its usual kaleidoscopic aromas and flavors, with nice lift from vibrant acidity. The 2018 follows admirably, the 2017 version of this wine, which received a whopping 96 points from Jeb Dunnuck, who wrote:
“Ripe, rounded, and brilliantly textured, with a rocking finish, it’s up with some of the finest Sauvignon Blancs coming from California today. I’d happily include this in a blind tasting with a great vintage of Haut Brion Blanc.” (JebDunnuck.com 10/31/19)
We think the 2018 is right there, perhaps even a little more open knit and accessible early, but with a long life ahead. The acidity on all the Sauvignons this year were insanely good.
Wine Profile
| Vintage | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Varietal | Sauvignon Blanc |
| Size | 750 ml |