Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Napa Valley California

2018 vintage – 100% Sauvignon Blanc from grapes grown in top-flight vineyards throughout Napa Valley, including, from south to north, Cakebread’s own estate ranches in Carneros, Suscol Springs, Rutherford and Calistoga. The exceptional fruit from these sites enables us to craft a sauvignon blanc that is simultaneously fresh, crisp and zesty. The grapes were harvested during the cool nighttime hours to fully capture their fresh, pure flavors and vibrant acidity. Whole-cluster-pressing the fruit under anaerobic conditions maximizes varietal intensity while minimizing the extraction of astringent compounds from the skins. In 2018, 81% of the juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks and 19% in neutral French oak barrels, a regimen yielding bright, concentrated aromas and flavors. The wine aged five months in neutral French oak barrels before bottling in March, 2019.