June 16, 2023 - The Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc always pleases, and this bottle was no exception. It was a very good match with lightly seared Ahi Tuna.
May 19, 2023 - A refreshingly great start to a meal of wonderful Chinese food with friends.
March 31, 2023 - Still very good and fresh. I like this SB because it doesn't have that grassiness that many SBs have. Great food wine.
September 16, 2022 - This beauty is still drinking very well.
June 17, 2022 - 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.
June 17, 2022 - 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.
June 28, 2021 - Love that it's a softer style than the big grapefruit in your face S. B.
June 15, 2021 - 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.
June 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
May 22, 2021 - 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.