2018 Alder Grove Sauvignon Blanc

Dry Creek Valley

Alder Grove provides shaded habitat for spawning fish and the trees' roots nourish the soil where the grapes for this Sauvignon Blanc grow. The label features an alder catskin, the tree's flower that blossoms at nearly the same time as the grape berries form.

WINEMAKING NOTES
Coming off the highly-regarded premier 2017 vintage, the 2018 release is a nod to a fine white Bordeaux. Phased picking at different maturity levels brought natural acid, alcohol balance, and layers of aromas/flavors. Whole-cluster pressing with limited controlled skin contact ensured balance. Cool fermentation with minimal lees contact in both tank and barrel added mouthfeel texture and allowed natural settling minimizing wine handling prior to bottling. There was no malolactic fermentation. Mix of French oak and acacia barrels with the latter contributing a bit more of the floral and spicy notes.

THE WINE
The cool sub-zones of the Dry Creek Valley AVA are amazing and you can taste it in this wine. The aromatics begin with candied orange and honeyed fig and then evolve to develop into flavors of bitter orange marmalade, pomelo grapefruit, more citrus (less tropical) notes, a mild grassiness, and a tiny amount of freshly cut dill. A mix of new and neutral barrels add breadth and range while the stainless steel gives a freshness and "pop" of natural acidity. The co-mingling of herbs, fruits, and honey plus the refreshingly crisp palate makes this delightful. Petrale sole would be grand as a pairing as would vegetarian pot stickers or arugula salad with dill goat cheese and raspberries. This Sauvignon Blanc is also tasty with oysters or mussels. There's no doubt in the cellaring potential 2024-2026 so enjoy now and hold some for later.

5 cases

TECHNICAL NOTES
APPELLATION: Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County
VINEYARDS: 46% Wine Creek Ranch, Quivira's home vineyard, CCOF-certified organic. 54% from small, like-minded growers organically-farmed and picked to our specifications COMPOSITION: 75% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Semillon
FERMENTATION: 80% fermented and aged in neutral French oak and acacia barrels; 20% stainless steel fermentation
BARREL AGING: 60 gallon and 500L French oak and acacia barrels; 20% new, 80% 1-2 year or neutral.