This wine is our take on a classic, a 50/50 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, a traditional blend that goes back many years in Bordeaux. The Sauvignon Blanc brings a clean fresh citrusy acidity and some tropical character. The Semillon contributes viscosity and waxiness that adds gravity and weight. The acidity and fruit expression are balanced by a rich lees character and a faint backdrop of creamy oak. That interplay is the magic of this time-honored blend. Flavors include grapefruit, fresh cut pineapple, flint, oat straw, dried fig, and beeswax. The fruit was very lightly whole-cluster-pressed. The two varieties were harvested on the same day and cofermented. We used 15% new Boutes barrels, with no stirring. To preserve all of the acidity the wine was prevented from going through malo-lactic fermentation. After ten months of barrel aging, the wine was filtered to prevent malolactic fermentation in bottle, and then bottled. The wine is ready now but will reward much longer aging. Over time the Sauvignon Blanc character should recede and the Semillon will come into its own. It’s a great wine to check in on periodically and enjoy the evolution.
