We are dedicated to growing and producing distinctive Sauvignon Blanc from our Greive Family estate vineyard located in a unique part of Napa called Lovall Valley. This valley is the coolest viticultural area in Napa  County and sits just above Carneros straddling the Sonoma/Napa county line between the towns of Sonoma and Napa.

We double-farm our vineyard, treating the north side of the vine differently from the south side due to the vineyard’s east/west row orientation and Sauvignon Blanc’s need for some sun exposure to achieve the best flavors. We also harvest twice to maximize the flavor intensity of each cluster picked. This process is difficult, labor intensive and expensive, but it allows us to make the best possible wine.

The First Pick2011 was the fourth consecutive cool growing season and with our site being cooler than the norm, we anxiously awaited the ripening of our grapes, especially with the rain that we received in October and November. The cool weather produced wine with amazing acidity for wonderful freshness and nerve. We harvested clusters from the southern end of the vineyard on the morning of October 11. The acidity was unusually high, making expressive aromas of lemongrass and grapefruit peel. The pressed juice was fermented in stainless-steel tanks; part was then aged French oak for eight months.

The Second PickThe northern portion of the vineyard was allowed to further ripen for an additional 14 days, giving the second pick a bit more honeydew and toasted pine nut flavors and aromas. The lot was fermented in a combination of new and once-used French oak as well as stainless-steel tanks.

Varietal Composition: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Clonal Composition: 100% clone 3
Final Blend: 45% first pick, 55% second pick
Alcohol: 14.2%
TA: 8.1g/L
pH: 3.03
Cases Produced: 603 (12/750ml); 15 (6/1.5L)

We were fortunate to have the entire first and second picks make it into the final blend. The nose jumps out of the glass with grapefruit, lemongrass, fresh hay, honeydew, toasted pine nuts and hyacinth. The mouthfeel is bright and crisp, featuring beautiful acidity and spring flowers, hyacinth, grapefruit, kaffir lime and cardamom. The beauty of this wine is the mouthwatering freshness and an astonishingly long finish that lingers and lingers.