![]() ![]() ![]() Not that it’s unimportant Katz prefers later-ripening clones, as well as the Musqué clone for its less grassy, more floral and stone fruit characteristics. ![]() Katz agrees that site specificity must be prioritized above all else-even clone selection. “The key is achieving the desired grape flavors at the lowest possible sugars in order to have plenty of acid to survive fermentation and aging.” “Farming for an age-worthy white wine needs to be even more meticulous than farming red grapes,” notes Gamble. “It can take on some very interesting savory, generous, and umami tones: Think fresh peach versus peach pie, or lemon peel versus lemon curd,” he says.Īccording to Erickson, making exceptional aged Sauvignon Blanc starts with “great terroir,” a sentiment echoed by several winemakers interviewed for this story. Erickson has been aging Sauvignon Blancs since he first began growing the varietal in 2005. The delayed gratification is worth the effort, he believes. Buyers then have the option to stash them away. “I think serious wine consumers are interested, but there aren’t a lot of examples out there, unless you age it yourself.” Instead, he continues, most age-worthy Sauvignon Blancs-including those mentioned in this article-are sold young. To this day, Katz says the wine still shows “a lot of fruit on the palate and some more nutty, honey and spice characteristics are starting to come out.” He thinks the wine has at least another decade of aging potential the 2022 vintage is currently available.Īll this said, most California producers are not cellaring their Sauvignon Blanc on-site before releasing them, says Andy Erickson, proprietor of Favia Wine in the Coombsville area of Napa Valley. The first vintage of Aperture’s Bordeaux Blanc, released in 2016, is a barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc with 16% Sémillon. ![]() But it wasn’t until he founded Aperture with his father Andy that he committed to creating “world-class and age-worthy Sauvignon Blanc.” Jesse Katz, winemaker with Aperture Cellars in Healdsburg, California, had experimented with aging Sauvignon Blanc years ago while working at Screaming Eagle in Napa Valley. “The acid is in balance with the overall creaminess of the wine that comes from being aged in oak.” “It keeps its bright tropical and citrus notes, but is accompanied by flavors of honeycomb and toasted brioche,” explains Jaime Medina, the operation’s associate winemaker. Gamble Family Vineyard’s 2018 Heart Block Sauvignon Blanc can be consumed now, but also cellared for five to seven years. In comparison to an unaged Sauvignon Blanc, aged versions showcase a more refined palate with complex aromatics and flavors. A trip to the Loire and Bordeaux in the 1980s inspired his passion for the style-particularly the great examples from Domaine de Chevalier, Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Château Malartic-Lagraviere, Pavillon Blanc, Château Haut-Brion Blanc and-perhaps most of all-those from winemaker Didier Dagueneau, particularly his Loire-based Silex and Pur Sang. Tom Gamble, proprietor of Gamble Family Vineyards in Napa Valley, began aging Sauvignon Blanc in 2001. Now, a handful of California winemakers producing aged Sauvignon Blanc want to get the word out. In France’s Loire Valley or Bordeaux region, however, serious Sauvignon Blanc fans know that this white wine has profound aging potential-as little as one year and as much as 10, and in some cases even more. The idea of aging Sauvignon Blanc, especially in the United States, may sound unusual to wine drinkers who love the varietal for its light, fresh flavors and crisp acidity. Decorative Wine Racks & Modular Systems. ![]()
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