The 2005 season got off to a fairly fast start with a mild March, but then mostly cooler weather in April through June led to a later start of the vintage. The ripening in late July and August was ideal for the Sauvignon Blanc leading to a compact harvest over only three days with the various vineyard blocks giving us the breadth of fruit profile that normally takes 8-10 days.
Our traditional night harvesting during the cool of the early morning helped to retain the vibrant Sauvignon Blanc aromas and flavors. Coupling this with “skin contacting” the fruit for several hours before pressing amplified the intense fruit flavors from our Rutherford vineyard. The juice was fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel tanks over four to five weeks with selected yeasts that further enhanced the flavors. After racking and blending, the wine was bottled in March and June of 2006 using Stelvin screw cap closures. The screw cap is the best closure for preserving the delicate character of this aromatic variety.
The 2005 Sauvignon Blanc is greenish straw in color and exhibits classic varietal characters of passion fruit, guava and grapefruit. On the palate, this wine delivers a delightful combination of bold tropical fruit and citrus flavors with a crisp, lingering finish.
