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Wild Oak Vineyard
91 pts. | Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge
Tasting Notes
This refreshing and crisp wine offers generous aromas of honeydew melon, grapefruit, kiwi, apricot, and lime that lead the way to flavors of tangerine, fresh apple, and white peach. The small percentage of neutral oak aging provides roundness and length on the finish complementing the bright acidity and note of minerality in this elegant white.
Vintage Notes
The 2024 growing season started off quite wet and cold, giving the vines an extended dormant period. Bud break occurred as spring began, followed closely by a brief bloom period. Early summer brought a mix of warm and hot days, but nights remained cool, allowing the vines time to recoup. Vintage 2024 was a tale of two harvests: our Sauvignon Blanc was harvested on August 31st—two and a half weeks earlier than in 2023—marking the start of an early pick season that also included Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel through early September. The Bordeaux varieties followed, mostly harvested in mid-September, with our final truck of Cabernet Sauvignon arriving on October 11th.
Vineyard Notes
All of the fruit for this lovely wine comes from our Certified Sustainable Wild Oak Vineyard located at the base of the majestic Sugarloaf Ridge and Hood Mountain in historic Sonoma Valley. Over the centuries, rock and gravel has washed down from the mountain range providing an ideal soil for Sauvignon Blanc while the region’s moderate climate prolongs ripening and hang time, promoting natural balance in this wine.
Winemaker Notes
To retain the bright flavors and crisp acidity of this varietal, the grapes were picked at dawn and arrived at the winery cold. The grapes were pressed and a portion of the juice was sent directly to stainless steel tank while the balance was sent to Acacia barrels for fermentation. The tank portion of the wine was fermented slowly at 55º for over 30 days, preserving the wonderful aromas of Sauvignon Blanc. We prevented malolactic fermentation to preserve the wine’s clean, crisp texture.
