Duckhorn 2024 North Coast Sauvignon Blanc

 

As several wine categories have been flagging, California Sauvignon Blanc sales in the US have been doing pretty well. There are several long-standing fine California Sauvignon Blanc brands that you always see in the market: Duckhorn, Ferrari Carano, Groth, Honig, and I'm sure you can come up with a couple of others.

Although the stated list price is $32, this is currently selling at the local Emeryville Total Wine store for $19.99, and you can expect it to be listed for around $20-$25 most places. 

This vintage of Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc absolutely delivers. This is a terrific wine. It's fresh and zippy with spring-like snap pea, grass, clover, lemon-lime, elderflower and honeydew melon flavors. A dose of Semillon gives it some added depth. No wonder it's one of the leading brands in the ultra-premium tier - it's super-complex and well-executed with great layers, complexity, and concentration. Brava to winemaker Renee Ary! (93 Points)

Review: Duckhorn 2021 Sauvignon Blanc North Coast ($32)

In recent years I've been really glad to witness tremendous advances in the quality of sauvignon blanc from California as winemakers have leaned into less oaky versions of the wine that express the variety and terroir in a more concise way. Duckhorn is a very popular sauvignon that you'll see on store shelves quite a bit, and the quality is very high. The style of this sauvignon blanc is a bit on the conservative side. It isn't very edgy or grassy. There's some semillon blended in to round it out, and it's matured in a combination of stainless steel tanks and French oak. It has melon, sweet pea, quince, apple notes and a creamy texture. I'd say it's not exactly cutting edge, but it's a very pleasant wine to drink, and very versatile with food. (88 Points) 

- Tim Teichgraeber