Wine maker notes

Beringer’s 2003 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc was grown in Bale Lane Vineyard, just north of the winery in St. Helena, and Gamble Ranch, a vineyard located mid-Valley near Oakville. At some distance from the cooling influence of San Pablo Bay, these areas have warm daytime temperatures and restrictive soils that are key ingredients in growing high quality Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Beringer’s vineyard manager, Bob Steinhauer, and his team diligently manage the Sauvignon Blanc’s innate vigor through proper trellising and other viticultural practices to increase sunlight exposure and air circulation to the clusters so the vines will produce grapes with balanced citrus, lush stone fruit and melon flavors backed with a subtle herbal character. In 2003, Winemaker Laurie Hook chose to send the Sauvignon Blanc fruit directly to the press, by-passing the stemmer-crusher, to protect more of the varietal’s delicate aromas and flavors. She also fermented individual vineyard lots separately using different techniques to highlight various characteristics and bring more complexity to the wine. About 30 percent of the juice was barrel fermented and aged for five months in small, seasoned French oak barrels so soft spice and vanilla elements would be introduced without overpowering the wine’s bright acidity and fruitiness. In a separate process, Laurie cold-fermented the balance of the juice to highlight the Sauvignon Blanc’s citrus, grapefruit and herbal notes.