St. Clement Bale Lane Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Region: Napa Valley, California
Winery: St. Clement Vineyards
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Vineyard Notes The fruit for this luscious Sauvignon Blanc was harvested on the first day of September, 2006. Often among the first of the vineyards to be picked, Winemaker Danielle Cyrot likes to harvest the grapes at a lower sugar content to retain the acidity and freshness of this wine. In 2006, we experienced a late bud break which we thought would delay harvest by several weeks. However, warm temperatures during the summer months accelerated ripening in our Bale Lane vineyard and contributed to the exotic green fruit flavors and aromas. Crop size and growing conditions during harvest were absolutely perfect, making 2006 a standout vintage. The hand-picked grapes were whole cluster pressed in an environment void of oxygen to preserve their wonderful exotic fruit flavors and aromas. The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks at very cold temperatures and stabilized so that it did not undergo malolactic fermentation. This was done to retain the bright acidity, minerality and green apple, citrus flavors, which make the Bale Lane Sauvignon Blanc such a flavorful and complex wine. After fermentation was complete, Danielle drew off approximately five percent of the juice into new Hungarian oak barrels for four months. This touch of oak imparted another layer of complexity to this wine, including slight floral notes on the nose and a lengthy mid-palate.Winemaker's Comments Light straw in color, this fresh Sauvignon Blanc offers enticing aromas of tropical fruit, grapefruit, green apple andhoneydew, with a slight hint of honeysuckle from the Hungarian oak. The crisp acidity that greets the palate introduces flavors of lemon, key lime pie, cucumber and honeydew, with fresh green apple undertones throughout the mid-palate. Lingering flavors of grapefruit and citrus blossom round out the finish on this crisp, clean, and refreshing Bale Lane Sauvignon Blanc.
Varietal Content 100% Sauvignon BlancH a r v e s tAppellation: Napa ValleyHarvest Date: September 1, 2006Vineyard: Bale LaneR e l e a s eBottling Completed: February 2007Release Date: March 2007Case Production: 800

Posted by thewinery on December 1st, 2007 at 9:51am | report comment

St. Clement Bale Lane Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Region: Napa Valley, California
Winery: St. Clement Vineyards
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Color: Pale yellow

Nose: Tropical fruit, some less zingy citrus and interestingly, maybe some flowers, but I'm not sure what kind.

Palate: Good mouthfeel here, this isn't a hugely acidic wine, but has a bit more balance than many New World Sauv Blancs. Still has a lot of refershing acidity and citrus fruit, but also some green apple. Pretty good stuff!

Posted by drxeno on January 2nd, 2008 at 2:20pm | report comment