RouteStock is an invitation to discover the deep roots of winemaking in Napa and Sonoma, planted firmly at each step of your journey through our vineyard sites. Every glass tells the story of Napa and Sonoma’s remarkable fine wine heritage, from the famous routes that wind between the vineyards, to the roots that produce its world-renowned grapes. An endeavor of enduring Napa-based importer Wilson Daniels, RouteStock is established as a product that consistently over-delivers in quality at a very attractive price point.

At the core of RouteStock is our commitment to sourcing great fruit from high-end vineyards along well-known routes in the Napa Valley. We partner with a select group of dedicated grape-growers in the best viticultural areas for each of our varietals and we work hand-in-hand with all our growers during the cultivation season. We practice minimal intervention in our winemaking to help the grapes show their true character, using native yeasts, natural malolactic fermentation, 100% barrel aging, and no chemical additions. Our intent is to let the grapes and vintage tell us what kind of wine they should be – we never try to force the wine into a specific mold, but rather serve as a guide on its journey.

This wine derives from two unique vineyards, one in Rutherford and the other in Carneros. During production, we increase the oxygen exposure of the juice during fermentation through a combination of stainless-steel tanks and concrete eggs to bring forward the subtle flavors that are too often hidden within this wonderful grape variety. Aging too is done in two methods, partially in used French oak and partially in concrete egg to add intricacy to the final blend. A sip of this Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc will be familiar, but also delightfully surprising.

There was ample rainfall in the early winter that set the crop up nicely. Bud-break and flowering were calm and occurred at the regular schedule, setting the stage for a wonderful growing season. There was a massive heatwave that started September 1st that brought 115-degree temperatures for over a week. With this in sight, we decided to pick both of our sauvignon blanc vineyards prior to this disruptive weather event.

The aroma jumps out of the glass with flowers, herbs, and fruit such as oregano, fig, grapefruit and apricot. The pallet is so amazingly fresh, clean, and crisp with flavors of honeydew melon, grapefruit, thyme, and fig. There is a great combination of vibrant acidity and lift with a nice touch of richness that you can’t get from sauvignon blanc aged in stainless steel exclusively. The small addition of co-fermented Semillon adds some depth, density, and oiliness to the wine. This sauvignon blanc provides a vibrant dance on the palate and has a lingering fresh finish with flavors of fig and oregano.