Nose grapefruit, lemons, grass, minerals, and shells. On the palate the sour is perfection. Also shows tropical fruit, grapefruit, minerals, floral and grass. Medium finish and very refreshing. Served recently with a crab cake and wow!
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Nice sauvignon blanc. Pale yellow color with lemon on the nose. Acidity/citrus flavors you would expect, with lemon and pineapple notes most prominent. Light-medium body with creamy texture and decent finish.
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Popped and poured. Wanted to know what the fuss was about and why it was $26 / bottle. I have to say that my expectations were met. Slight residual carbonation from fermentation in the bottle always a nice little surprise. Nice nose of gooseberry and green apple. Palate is very clean with a thicker texture than you find from French or NZ sav blancs. May have spent a little time in oak or gone through malo-lactic fermentation. Very nice and unexpected. Even with the slightly creamy mouth feel there is good acidity and overall its very well balanced. Definite gooseberry-grapefruit with hints of grass and tropical fruits on the palate. Would like to see a longer finish for the near $30 price tag. Good special occasion or gift bottle. A great effort from Napa! (CMS A-)
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NOSE: A very expressive and complex bouquet for a CA Sauv. Blanc: it has both the grassy thing and the crisp acidity thing going on, which impresses me because normally you get one or the other with Sauv. Blancs; secondary notes of musk melon and a hint of oak; with time, interesting aspects of lavender and liverwurst come forward.
BODY: clear; pale yellow color; medium bodied.
TASTE: a strong mid-palate attack starts you off with grassy bell pepper notes, but then gives way to essence of juniper berries on the long finish. Slightly hot, time to drink up.
B: 50, 5, 13, 16, 7 = 91
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Very pale straw color. Rather light aromatically, with some creaminess and tropical fruits. Tropical fruit on the palate. A little flabby, I would have liked to have seen a more acidic backbone. Not bad, but very average for a CA SB. A disappointment - I expected better from Cliff Lede.
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Very nice SB. Made more in the NZ style, but with a Cali flair. I say this because it has the NZ quintissential grassiness, but in such a balanced package. Very light almost clear in color. On the nose, grassinesswith a touch of lemon. Very fresh smelling. Notes on the the nose carry through on the finish. Good mouthfeel, does not exhibit the NZ tartness, much more smooth. I really liked this.
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Some grassy apple, a little pear - not awfull but completely boring. I don't see any value in drinking something like this - except maybe to get drunk.
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Opened not decanted. Served chilled. On the nose: pear and sour, yellow citrus. On the palate: medium weight with a little fattiness; lemon, unsweetened pineapple and pear with a sour finish. Fair to Good.
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Memorial weekend BBQ Cyn Ed Mimi et al -- Crowd pleaser once again, great with assorted salads and appetizers. Fresh and very bright, loaded with grassy pineapply grapefruit.
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A non-blind white before the blind tasting portion of the night. Notes of grapefruit, citrus and gooseberry with a subtle cat urine note. Grassy citrus and grapefruit flavors on the palate.
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Full aromas of fresh cut grass, tart green apple and citrus zest. Zingy palate with loads of rich, prickly fruit. Pure and persistent into a long finish. Charming, easy drinking Spring-time white.
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Opened not decanted. Served chilled. Sweet pear on the nose; on the palate: some noticable high alcohol notes with a medium body weight and viscosity; ends with a grapefruit finish. Good, but I wish the heat was not so apparent.
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Nice CA SB...but prefer the NZ style better. Hints of pear and spice. not a lot of tropical fruits or grapefruit. Almost an unoaked Chard rather than a SB. Nice wine...just not for me.
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Fantastic Sauvignon Blanc nose with pear, citrus, straw, honeydew notes. Clean mouthfeel that finishes pretty fast. Makes you want to have more..... Good balance. If wine would have more acidity this would be a 95+. Nice wine that worked well with wildcaught rainbow trout from Lake Tahoe with vegetabes and hollaindaise sauce. This wine makes your troubles go away!
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98% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Sauvignon Musqué. Pale yellow color, with notes of lemongrass, citrus and minerals. The palate is dominated by grassy flavors that give way citrus and minerals through the midpalate and finish. Nice.
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A bit more complex than many SBs out there that are in the $12 range. Not just grassy or tropical, but a pleasant blend of both with just a hint of sweetness. Best SB I have had in a long time.
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Seriously good SB. Varietally correct but not over the top on the aroma. Great acidity and grapefruit, granny smith apple and other white fruit. Extremely pleasant to drink on its own, and great with a tomato salad. Held up beautifully in the fridge over two days...uncorked
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Tried this at the winery. I am not a white fan but this struck me as a very nice clean balance SB that was not too grassy. The wife liked it as well. I am going to order a few more bottles.
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Tasted at the winery. Besides their reserve level Cab, this is the wine that stood out. Unique in that 27% sees french oak during fermentation. Very complex and creamy, but still has the acidity that shines in sauv blancs. A bit on the expensive side, but worth every penny (A-).
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Typical SB nose. Full aromas of citrus zest with grassy notes. Round and full bodied on the palate with a strong grapefruit running down the center of the palate. Acidic edge provides a counterpoint to the big fruits. Medium-length finish has fruit and a lychee spice note.
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This was not decanted like the winery suggested and from a prior TN I did which I gave this a 95. tasted this as part of a Vertical of 04-06. This came in 2nd, very close to the 04 SB. Might not have quite the body the 04 has, but it seems to have a tiny bit more complexity to it. Has good fruit concentration, not too tart, perfect balance with more acids than the 04 making it better with spicy foods. Wide variety of flavors pop out on the nose and on the palate. You have aromas of apricots, passion fruits, orange peel, citrus with floral notes. While on the palate you get grapefruits, melons, citrus, lemon grass, papaya, goosenberry and a gentle touch of herb with a good mineral and clean finish.
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Napa Winery Tour (Larkmead, Cliff Lede, Neal, Ladera, Etude & more): One of the better Napa SB's out there, emphasizing citrus notes and crisp acidity on the finish as opposed to creaminess. Good fruit concentration, perhaps obscuring any mineral or stone notes hiding underneath that may emerge a few months down the line.
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Totally Awesome! Their best ever. First time here that decanting made a SB a lot better! Had this alongside their 2004 SB, and this one is even better than the 04 which I gave a 94 rating too. Might not have quite the body the 04 has, but it seems to have a lot of complexity to it, good fruit concentration, not too tart, perfect balance with more acids than the 04 making it better with spicy foods. Longer and cleaner finish than the 04. Wide variety of flavors pop out on the nose and on the palate. You have aromas of apricots, passion fruits, orange peel, citrus with floral notes. While on the palate you get grapefruits, melons, citrus, lemon grass, papaya, goosenberry and a gentle touch of herb.
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3/23/2010 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Nose grapefruit, lemons, grass, minerals, and shells. On the palate the sour is perfection. Also shows tropical fruit, grapefruit, minerals, floral and grass. Medium finish and very refreshing. Served recently with a crab cake and wow!
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12/21/2009 - bilgepump100 wrote: 89 Points
Solid. Crisp. Grapefruit juice and crushed stone. Astringent at first but softens at the right temp.
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4/3/2009 - smphelps wrote: 89 Points
Well focused mineral based SB with plenty of citrus and a creamy base.
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3/28/2009 - jwells wrote: 90 Points
Nice sauvignon blanc. Pale yellow color with lemon on the nose. Acidity/citrus flavors you would expect, with lemon and pineapple notes most prominent. Light-medium body with creamy texture and decent finish.
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12/8/2008 - Colima74 wrote: 90 Points
No doubt from the nose of the varietal. Rich and structured, with no flabbiness. Good fruit. Still excellent days later. Terrific QPR.
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11/14/2008 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
Poured at a retailer tasting. Aromas of lemongrass and mineral, with nice fruit and steely, mineral qualities on the palate. 89-90 pts.
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9/26/2008 - WineKnurd wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Wanted to know what the fuss was about and why it was $26 / bottle. I have to say that my expectations were met. Slight residual carbonation from fermentation in the bottle always a nice little surprise. Nice nose of gooseberry and green apple. Palate is very clean with a thicker texture than you find from French or NZ sav blancs. May have spent a little time in oak or gone through malo-lactic fermentation. Very nice and unexpected. Even with the slightly creamy mouth feel there is good acidity and overall its very well balanced. Definite gooseberry-grapefruit with hints of grass and tropical fruits on the palate. Would like to see a longer finish for the near $30 price tag. Good special occasion or gift bottle. A great effort from Napa! (CMS A-)
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9/6/2008 - cookie7 wrote: 91 Points
Nose of green apple. Bright citrus on the palate with loads of grapefruit. Still one of my favorite SBs.
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8/23/2008 - grafstrb wrote: 91 Points
-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind --
NOSE: A very expressive and complex bouquet for a CA Sauv. Blanc: it has both the grassy thing and the crisp acidity thing going on, which impresses me because normally you get one or the other with Sauv. Blancs; secondary notes of musk melon and a hint of oak; with time, interesting aspects of lavender and liverwurst come forward.
BODY: clear; pale yellow color; medium bodied.
TASTE: a strong mid-palate attack starts you off with grassy bell pepper notes, but then gives way to essence of juniper berries on the long finish. Slightly hot, time to drink up.
B: 50, 5, 13, 16, 7 = 91
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8/19/2008 - ejca wrote:
this bottle was much better than previous bottles. Not as good as the 07
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7/27/2008 - cookie7 wrote: 91 Points
Probably the best CA SB I have had. Floral and peach scents on the nose. Crisp yet-full bodied palate with lots of citrus and tropical fruits.
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7/10/2008 - elamasters wrote: 84 Points
Very pale straw color. Rather light aromatically, with some creaminess and tropical fruits. Tropical fruit on the palate. A little flabby, I would have liked to have seen a more acidic backbone. Not bad, but very average for a CA SB. A disappointment - I expected better from Cliff Lede.
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6/15/2008 - bubbachumps wrote: 90 Points
Very nice SB. Made more in the NZ style, but with a Cali flair. I say this because it has the NZ quintissential grassiness, but in such a balanced package. Very light almost clear in color. On the nose, grassinesswith a touch of lemon. Very fresh smelling. Notes on the the nose carry through on the finish. Good mouthfeel, does not exhibit the NZ tartness, much more smooth. I really liked this.
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6/13/2008 - Zinny wrote:
Some grassy apple, a little pear - not awfull but completely boring. I don't see any value in drinking something like this - except maybe to get drunk.
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5/30/2008 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Served chilled. On the nose: pear and sour, yellow citrus. On the palate: medium weight with a little fattiness; lemon, unsweetened pineapple and pear with a sour finish. Fair to Good.
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5/30/2008 - ejca wrote:
good but not great.
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5/26/2008 - danstrings wrote: 90 Points
Memorial weekend BBQ Cyn Ed Mimi et al -- Crowd pleaser once again, great with assorted salads and appetizers. Fresh and very bright, loaded with grassy pineapply grapefruit.
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5/18/2008 - AllRed wrote: 89 Points
A non-blind white before the blind tasting portion of the night. Notes of grapefruit, citrus and gooseberry with a subtle cat urine note. Grassy citrus and grapefruit flavors on the palate.
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5/17/2008 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Full aromas of fresh cut grass, tart green apple and citrus zest. Zingy palate with loads of rich, prickly fruit. Pure and persistent into a long finish. Charming, easy drinking Spring-time white.
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5/16/2008 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted. Served chilled. Sweet pear on the nose; on the palate: some noticable high alcohol notes with a medium body weight and viscosity; ends with a grapefruit finish. Good, but I wish the heat was not so apparent.
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5/11/2008 - BSteffes wrote: 88 Points
Nice CA SB...but prefer the NZ style better. Hints of pear and spice. not a lot of tropical fruits or grapefruit. Almost an unoaked Chard rather than a SB. Nice wine...just not for me.
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5/10/2008 - ejca wrote:
Very good, but drank a Kim Crawford the night before and have to say I like that one better.
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5/3/2008 - fandersson wrote: 90 Points
Fantastic Sauvignon Blanc nose with pear, citrus, straw, honeydew notes. Clean mouthfeel that finishes pretty fast. Makes you want to have more..... Good balance. If wine would have more acidity this would be a 95+. Nice wine that worked well with wildcaught rainbow trout from Lake Tahoe with vegetabes and hollaindaise sauce. This wine makes your troubles go away!
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5/1/2008 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
98% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Sauvignon Musqué. Pale yellow color, with notes of lemongrass, citrus and minerals. The palate is dominated by grassy flavors that give way citrus and minerals through the midpalate and finish. Nice.
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4/21/2008 - cookie7 wrote: 91 Points
A bit more complex than many SBs out there that are in the $12 range. Not just grassy or tropical, but a pleasant blend of both with just a hint of sweetness. Best SB I have had in a long time.
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4/20/2008 - danstrings wrote: 90 Points
Great domestic SB, loaded with wild tropical and citrus elements, great balance and acidity...
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4/15/2008 - Colima74 wrote: 92 Points
Seriously good SB. Varietally correct but not over the top on the aroma. Great acidity and grapefruit, granny smith apple and other white fruit. Extremely pleasant to drink on its own, and great with a tomato salad. Held up beautifully in the fridge over two days...uncorked
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3/7/2008 - fabfoods wrote: 89 Points
Well balanced great with seafood. This SB actually has a nice lingering taste.
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1/31/2008 - parathesis wrote: 90 Points
Tried this at the winery. I am not a white fan but this struck me as a very nice clean balance SB that was not too grassy. The wife liked it as well. I am going to order a few more bottles.
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1/18/2008 - Combee1 wrote: 92 Points
Tasted at the winery. Besides their reserve level Cab, this is the wine that stood out. Unique in that 27% sees french oak during fermentation. Very complex and creamy, but still has the acidity that shines in sauv blancs. A bit on the expensive side, but worth every penny (A-).
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11/17/2007 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Typical SB nose. Full aromas of citrus zest with grassy notes. Round and full bodied on the palate with a strong grapefruit running down the center of the palate. Acidic edge provides a counterpoint to the big fruits. Medium-length finish has fruit and a lychee spice note.
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11/10/2007 - vinole wrote: 91 Points
Crown Fall 07 Upscale Tasting (Boca Raton, FL): Bright, intense nose that comes across almost sweet, then a wonderful palate with lots of citrus and crisp acidity.
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10/11/2007 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened not decanted and served chilled. Nose of hay, and sweet grass; light dry acidic with a sour finish. Fair.
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9/22/2007 - LACERS wrote: 92 Points
This was not decanted like the winery suggested and from a prior TN I did which I gave this a 95. tasted this as part of a Vertical of 04-06. This came in 2nd, very close to the 04 SB. Might not have quite the body the 04 has, but it seems to have a tiny bit more complexity to it. Has good fruit concentration, not too tart, perfect balance with more acids than the 04 making it better with spicy foods. Wide variety of flavors pop out on the nose and on the palate. You have aromas of apricots, passion fruits, orange peel, citrus with floral notes. While on the palate you get grapefruits, melons, citrus, lemon grass, papaya, goosenberry and a gentle touch of herb with a good mineral and clean finish.
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9/13/2007 - CO CHRIS wrote: 92 Points
Nose - crisp green apple, a swath of tropical, but that's not the focus...this is focused sauv blanc..
Palate - Crisp, but long, green apple, tart fruit, great structure, long, long finish. Delicious. Should have found this earlier in the summer!
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8/25/2007 - dharri1 wrote:
Pretty good. LIght gold, nectar color.
citrusy.
Would definitely drink again.
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8/8/2007 - vinole wrote: 90 Points
Napa Winery Tour (Larkmead, Cliff Lede, Neal, Ladera, Etude & more): One of the better Napa SB's out there, emphasizing citrus notes and crisp acidity on the finish as opposed to creaminess. Good fruit concentration, perhaps obscuring any mineral or stone notes hiding underneath that may emerge a few months down the line.
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5/3/2007 - LACERS wrote: 95 Points
Totally Awesome! Their best ever. First time here that decanting made a SB a lot better! Had this alongside their 2004 SB, and this one is even better than the 04 which I gave a 94 rating too. Might not have quite the body the 04 has, but it seems to have a lot of complexity to it, good fruit concentration, not too tart, perfect balance with more acids than the 04 making it better with spicy foods. Longer and cleaner finish than the 04. Wide variety of flavors pop out on the nose and on the palate. You have aromas of apricots, passion fruits, orange peel, citrus with floral notes. While on the palate you get grapefruits, melons, citrus, lemon grass, papaya, goosenberry and a gentle touch of herb.
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