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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.6 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 113 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Labrador on 6/16/2023 & rated 89 points: The Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc always pleases, and this bottle was no exception. It was a very good match with lightly seared Ahi Tuna. (351 views) | | | Tasted by Labrador on 5/19/2023 & rated 89 points: A refreshingly great start to a meal of wonderful Chinese food with friends. (344 views) | | | Tasted by Border Boss on 3/31/2023 & rated 90 points: Still very good and fresh. I like this SB because it doesn't have that grassiness that many SBs have. Great food wine. (395 views) | | | Tasted by Labrador on 9/16/2022 & rated 89 points: This beauty is still drinking very well. (753 views) | | | Tasted by Border Boss on 6/17/2022 & rated 91 points: Tart, dense mouthfeel, good minerality, very little of that yucky grassiness one gets with New Zealand SBs. Still young and requiring time to develop. A very good wine to serve with fatty seafood. (1070 views) | | | Tasted by AllRed on 6/17/2022 & rated 92 points: Friday Night Brown Bagger (J&J's): Double blind. Pale color. Orchard fruit with a distinct salinity, almost like an oyster shell. The palate follows the bouquet. There’s a nice softened acidity on the palate as well. I swore up and down that this was Chablis. Even after it was unveiled I didn’t pick up any citrus or grassy notes that might have suggested sauv blanc. Still, it was eminently enjoyable. 92+ pts. (1133 views) | | | Tasted by catlady on 6/28/2021 & rated 92 points: Love that it's a softer style than the big grapefruit in your face S. B. (1958 views) | | | Tasted by tomoem on 6/15/2021 & rated 93 points: Once again I really enjoyed this SB which is a wine style that I am gradually growing to like. In my humble view many basic entry level SB's are characterized by wild acidty and grapefruit flavors. In this wine, perhaps because this is aged in wood, the wine is more creamy and melancholy.
Starts with lemon and pear and moves onto wood imparted flavors enveloped by tropical fruits. Delicious. (1861 views) | | | Tasted by Border Boss on 6/13/2021: Notes on this wine from Cliff Lede website:
2018 CLIFF LEDE SAUVIGNON BLANC, NAPA VALLEY
Vintage
The 2018 vintage was a glorious year for Napa Valley. A frost-free and uniform bud break was followed by steady spring weather during flowering, allowing for an even and generous fruit set. Summer conditions were moderate, with warm days and cool nights, ideal for slow and steady grape maturation. The wine shows exceptional balance with concentrated, ripe fruit complemented by bright acidity and supple, yet intense, structure. Optimal ripeness was achieved thanks to an early autumn of consistently warm, but not hot, days. The pristine ripening conditions allowed for very intense fruit flavor concentrations.
Vineyards
Our Sauvignon Blanc is a lively, yet elegant, expression of this varietal in Napa Valley. The primary vineyard source, located in eastern Rutherford, is home to old vines planted to a heritage Musqué clone and Sémillon, providing density, richness, and citrus notes. Two other old-vine vineyards, both in Calistoga, contribute to the blend, one planted to Sauvignon Blanc and the other to Sémillon. In addition, we include grapes from a cooler climate vineyard on the east side of Napa, imparting vibrant acidity and finesse to the wine. A vineyard in Chiles Valley, a small pocket in eastern Napa County, adds complexity with old vines of Sauvignon Vert planted in 1947. This year marks the second harvest of our fabulous young vines from our property in Calistoga. The estate grown Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Musqué add sumptuous floral notes and mouthwatering acidity to the blend.
Winemaking
The fruit was hand-harvested in the cool darkness of night and arrived at the winery at dawn. The grapes were then held in controlled conditions of low oxygen and cold temperatures. Our fruit underwent gentle, whole-cluster pressing which releases the delicate, prized juices from the clusters and creates a deeper level of complexity. The juice was fermented in 67% French oak barrels, 29% stainless steel tanks, and 4% concrete eggs. All fermentations were conducted at cold temperatures to preserve the freshness of the fruit. Upon reaching dryness, the wine was aged on its lees and underwent daily or weekly battonage.
Winemaker Notes
Born in the glorious 2018 vintage, this year’s Sauvignon Blanc is a revelrous elixir that flourishes a multitudinous array of citrus tinged aromas and flavors. The exceedingly seductive perfume of orange blossom, pink fleshed grapefruit, and warm lemon soufflé entices, whilst restorative verdant notes ascend out of the glass and meld with hints of lemon verbena, tarragon, and ginger. The entrance boasts a brace of lemon candy across the palate followed by an unraveling of lemon meringue, tangerine marmalade, and lychee flavors. With air the wine further complexes and is punctuated by plump apricots, toasted brioche, and crushed chalk. This fun, sexy, and smart wine is imbued with a delightfully bright acidity and a long, rich full-bodied texture.
Analysis
Composition: 87% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Sémillon, 3% Sauvignon Vert
Alcohol: 14.2%
Production: 10,420 cases
Bottling Date: March 2019
Release Date: April 2019 (1521 views) | | | Tasted by mwneil on 5/22/2021 & rated 92 points: Drinking good, balanced oak and fruit, medium body, complex flavors, drank with cod fish and chips with kale, last bottle, on to a new vintage, really like CL white wines. (1442 views) | | | Tasted by Pontifax on 5/16/2021 & rated 92 points: A somewhat leaner style than the fine 2017, sampled and reviewed yesterday....
On nose: grapefruit pith, green notes of both celery and faint green pepper.
On palate: all above flavours, with present , but well integrated oak, notes of tarragon , anise, a fine balance of fresh acidity , with stony minerals and faint tangerine as it warms, after a 1 hour decant ....bone dry, medium bodied , elegant and savoury....very unlike New Zealand , closer to White Bordeaux, but distinctly Napa....lean enough for shellfish. (1456 views) | | | Tasted by Cuellar's Cellar on 4/30/2021 & rated 92 points: By far a great SB!!! Nice crisp wine that is ready to drink today. Cheers (1170 views) | | | Tasted by Border Boss on 3/30/2021 & rated 90 points: Popped and poured. Good citrus-like acidity, with lemon and lanolin on the nose. Tart on the palate, which cut through the clam chowder and the scallops. (1148 views) | | | Tasted by sethebarlow on 3/7/2021 & rated 90 points: This seems a bit more restrained than most other Napa SBs. A nice, slightly creamy texture. Grapefruit, lime, a tropical herbaceousness. Very pleasant, though a touch pricy for what it is. (1466 views) | | | Tasted by Nomelchizedek on 1/8/2021: Nose has hints of grapefruit and other citrus as well as a bit of disinfectant. NAK YCB (1301 views) | | | Tasted by bavaur on 12/9/2020 & rated 91 points: Oily, citrus nose of grapefruit, mandarin and lemon zest. Big tropical, creamy notes on the palate. Not quite as intense as the 2017 but very round and juicy and a really unique style for Napa. No astringency here! (1355 views) | | | Tasted by Labrador on 11/30/2020 & rated 89 points: A darn good Sauvignon Blanc that went very well with the last of Thanksgiving dinner. (1282 views) | | | Tasted by Dionysusx on 11/27/2020 & rated 91 points: Light-weight and refreshing (1225 views) | | | Tasted by buymoreredsdrinkmorewhites on 11/8/2020: North Jersey, November, 74 degrees, thinkin summer white. Peach, tangerine, melon all with a smooth finish. Great qpr and a really good SB year in and year out. Good stuff and the football Giants are winning for now. Cousin Pudge enjoyed with spicy scallop roll. (1253 views) | | | Tasted by Labrador on 11/4/2020 & rated 89 points: A lovely Sauvignon Blanc that went well with grilled salmon. Consistent with previous notes. (1085 views) | | | Tasted by mwneil on 10/10/2020 & rated 91 points: It amazes me that the oak never goes over the top, good fruit, nice balance, golden color, drinks easily, drank with pork fried rice, fried cod, and tuna sushi, will drink again. (1230 views) | | | Tasted by malbrecht on 10/7/2020 & rated 88 points: Flavors of grapefruit, lemon zest, and pear with good minerality. It has a lusher mouthfeel than many sauvignon blancs, and the acidity is toned back a bit, while the sweet fruit flavors dominate. Enjoyed drinking this at the beach. (1079 views) | | | Tasted by Cuellar's Cellar on 10/5/2020 & rated 90 points: Great wine! (1130 views) | | | Tasted by Cuellar's Cellar on 10/5/2020 & rated 90 points: Guava, cantaloupe on the nose. Long lasting on the pallet. Lemon, citrus. Slight hint of floral. Good wine (1136 views) | | | Tasted by Labrador on 9/3/2020 & rated 90 points: Drank over two nights with dinner including a very good veal scallipini. This is a wonderful Sauvignon Blanc. It is balanced, fruity, smooth and mouth-coating. It is not "pronounced" as some SBs are in its style. It is flexible enough to go with a variety of foods or yet very enjoyable on its own.
Cliff Lede struck just the right note again with its Sauvignon Blanc .... again. Yes, I have been enjoying this Cliff Lede wine for the last 10+ years. (1220 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Cliff Lede Producer websiteSauvignon Blanc Varietal CharacterUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)Napa ValleySt. Helena |
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