The 2000 vintage began early with budbreak occurring in the third week of March. Rapid vine growth gave an indication of an early harvest. Flowering began in mid May with favorable conditions, but a severe heat wave in June caused some of the newly set berries to desiccate, thus reducing the harvest. From the end of June until harvest, ideal weather continued for the Sauvignon Blanc with warm days and cool nights.
Harvesting at night and during the cool of the early morning helped retain the varietal character. The fruit was then crushed and pressed after 18 hours of skin contact. The juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks at cool temperatures to preserve delicate fruit flavors. After this long, slow, cool fermentation, the wine was racked, filtered and prepared for bottling in February.
The 2000 Sauvignon Blanc is greenish straw in color and shows classic varietal characters of grapefruit, passion fruit and pear, with hints of mineral and lemon peel. On the palate this wine explodes with citrus and tropical flavors. This medium bodied wine finishes with crisp and lingering lemon-lime notes.
