The 2001 vintage began early with budbreak occurring in the third week of March. A warm March was followed by a cold April with six nights of frost. The weather warmed up in early May, and flowering began on the Sauvignon Blanc vines by mid May in perfect conditions. The warm but mild June and July created perfect ripening conditions. Daytime temperatures in the mid 80s caused rapid sugar accumulation, while nights in the high 40s helped retain grape acids. Yields from our estate-owned vineyard were down slightly from 2000, which helped concentrate flavor.
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 2001 Sauvignon Blanc is greenish straw in color and shows classic varietal characters of guava, passion fruit and grapefruit, with hints of mineral and lemon peel. The palate explodes with citrus and tropical flavors. This medium-bodied wine finishes with crisp and lingering lemon-lime notes.
