2007 San Lucas Sauvignon Blanc
Vineyards
The grapes for this wine were grown on the rolling hills of the San Lucas A.V.A. on the western foothills of the Salinas Valley of Monterey County. Given their hillside perch, these grapes benefit from hours of warm sunshine tempered by the cool breezes which blow into the valley through the wetlands at Elkhorn Slough to the north. Neither too warm, nor too cool, this idyllic meso-climate brings forth all of the varietal characteristics winemakers search for in great Sauvignon Blanc — gooseberry, honeydew melon, and a subtle hint of freshly-mown hay.
The maritime-climate of Monterey also promotes grapes which possess exquisite balance, resulting in a wine with a supple mouthfeel and a clean, bright finish.
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In the Winery
The grapes were harvested by hand in early October of 2007 . Yields were average, 3.0-3.5 tons per acre. Arriving at the winery, we whole-cluster pressed the grapes using a gentle bladder press, and cold-settled the juice for 16 hours. After settling, we began a very long, slow and cold fermentation in stainless steel to preserve varietal character. This long, cold fermentation not only allowed for the retention of true fruit esters, it promoted the formation of an unique “sur lie” creaminess in the resulting wine. This wine was bottled in late March of 2008.
