2009 SAUVIGNON BLANC - SONOMA COUNTY / REDWOOD RANCH

Our Sauvignon Blanc juice is fermented slowly at very cold temperatures. When the fermentation approaches completion, approximately 20% of the juice is cold-transferred to finish fermenting in new French oak barrels. The wine in barrels is blended back with the stainless steel batches prior to any suggestion of oak character in the blended wine. This limited exposure to new barrels gives the wine richness and fullness to the mid-palate. From a winemaking perspective, the dry growing season produced the benefit of inducing "moderate stress" on the vines, which limited growth of the canopy and focused the vines' energy on the grapes.

The 2009 Sauvignon Blanc shows a straw to pale gold color with pale intensity and bright clarity in appearance. The nose shows medium plus intensity with a youthful development and aromas of lychee, pineapple, candied banana, melon and gooseberry. The palate is dry with medium plus acidity, body, flavor intensity and length, showing additional notes of grapefruit, green apple and honey. The lively, refreshing acidity and expressive fresh fruit in this wine should complement a variety of seafood dishes, as well as fresh salads and rich cheeses.