This is a lovely, summery white that has a bit of ripe guava on the nose, and very direct lemon-lime and grapefruit flavors on the palate. It is very zesty, downright racy in fact, and made primarily in stainless steel with a bit of neutral oak. It would be great with oysters or ceviche. 1,473 cases produced. Recommended. (92 Points)
The price creep of prime Sauvignon Blanc is getting a bit cringey, but there's no doubt that the quality of California Sauvignon Blanc has grown leaps and bounds in the last 15 or 20 years. Here's another great example. It's fresh and zesty with deep kiwi fruit, melon, white grapefruit and grass flavors. It's got great varietal character, isn't over-worked, and it sure was great with a cod ceviche. Frankly, it's hard to put down. (92 Points)
- Tim Teichgraeber
There's a lot to like about this Textbook brand from Napa-based Jonathan and Susan Pey. The wines are exactly what the brand suggests: wines that show great typicity of variety and place, and they're made in a very straightforward, direct way. The prices are also pretty damn good. The wine business is tough these days, but that seems like a pretty good formula for success, especially if you're buying grapes in a flooded bulk market. Coming in at a consumer-friendly $20 or so, this is a fine Sauvignon Blanc with the exact grapefruit, grass, and clover notes that you'd expect to get from a coastal California Sauvignon Blanc. The depth of flavor is impressive, and it comes in at a nice, mild 12.8% alcohol. Definitely recommended. (91 Points)
-Tim Teichgraeber
New Zealand's reputation for making excellent and affordable Sauvignon Blanc is well-deserved, and the consistency with which this South Pacific island delivers it is just phenomenal. It does not tend to be overly complicated, the fruit is simply outstanding, and the complexity that they are able to coax out of this variety in their cool, maritime climate is just uncanny. To wit: the 2024 Wither Hills, which when thoroughly chilled comes across as pretty straightforward with nice grapefruit and grass notes, but as it warms a bit in the glass it explodes with pineapple, guava, lemongrass, kiwi fruit, and lime zest notes. It is clean, refreshing, and glorious. It clocks in at a Total Acidity (TA) of 7.4, which would be extraordinarily high by American standards, and has a modest 3 grams/liter of residual sugar, which is perfect for balancing that high acid. This is a masterfully made wine and a tremendous value. (93 Points)
- Tim Teichgraeber
Wow! This is a show-stopper. Fermented in a mix of terracotta, concrete and oak, it has exotic pineapple, guava, grapefruit, hazelnut, and lime leaf notes. It's medium-bodied and a great example of the beautiful higher-end Sauvignons coming out of California these days. The grapes come from the estate's Fortuna and Home Ranch vineyards at 1,000 ft. elevation in Oakville. Highly recommended. (95 Points)
- Tim Teichgraeber
I'm a bit late in getting to a review of this excellent wine, but this is not a white wine that is showing age - quite the contrary. It is still very youthful and racy, with years to go. The excellent Cabernet producer, Larkmead, does not produce a lot of white wine (whites account for only 10% of the winery's volume). And, unfortunately, this wine is pretty much only available to wine club members. That said, if you happen to have a chance to enjoy it, you're in for a treat. It's currently showing notes of lemongrass, lime blossom, honeydew melon, green papaya, and granny smith apple, and it also has a subtle umami note reminiscent of saltwater. This is going to sound crazy, but it actually reminds me a little bit of a green papaya salad without the chile spice. This kind of complexity is rare indeed. (96 Points).
- Tim Teichgraeber
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)
This brand elevated reasonably-priced Sauvignon Blanc back in the '90s and '00s. Then, sadly, the brand was sold as part of a transaction involving many brands, and for the next twenty years the brand was kicked around to a series of owners until it pretty much bottomed-out in 2020, when Geyer Peak was acquired by Quintessential Wines, the current owner. It's nice to see the brand back in the marketplace these days, and the Sauvignon Blanc still delivers good value for an under $15 price tag. The 2022 vintage has ripe apple, pink grapefruit, and lime leaf notes delivered in a fresh, crisp style. (87 Points)
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American wine drinkers have spoken, and they like Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. It's easy to see why. Kiwi Sauv Blanc is almost always technically well made, unoaked, and zesty. The quality is excellent for the money, and if you're willing to spend more, New Zealand makes some pretty exotic stuff! This entry-level wine from Wither Hills is straightforward and direct, with pure, grass, sweet green pea, grapefruit, lime zest and white pepper notes. It's a perfectly summery release at a great price. Highly recommended. (90 Points)
-Tim Teichgraeber
Colombian-born winemaker Bibiana González Rave continues to deliver the hits at great price points. Bright, direct, and pretty intense, this terrific Sauvignon Blanc has mouth-watering pink grapefruit, lime leaf, clover, white pepper and quince notes with plenty of amplitude. The wine's acidity is pronounced, but it's also generous on the palate with concentrated fruit. In terms of quality, it's as good as you're going to find at this price point, and every bit as interesting as a top-notch New Zealand SB. (93 Points)
- Tim Teichgraeber
Veteran winemaker Steve Rogstad oversees winemaking at both Cuvaison in Carneros, and its sibling brand, Brandlin, which is based on Mt. Veeder. Rogstad makes some interesting, seriously-layered Sauvignon's for both brands using a variety of fermenters, stirring lees, and other craftsman-like tools of the trade. I love this 2021 release for it's complex gooseberry, quince, white grapefruit, cream, and lime curd flavors that delivery both great focus and plushness simultaneously. What a golden age this is for California Sauvignon Blanc. (93 Points)
- Tim Teichgraeber
This is a wine made by a winemaker with extraordinary experience and a great palate. A woman who knows how to craft delicious wines. It has vivacious pink grapefruit, pineapple, lime, and honeydew melon flavors, is mildly herbaceous, and it just draws you back to the glass. It's a perfect foil for ceviche or grilled fish, and just a brilliant white wine. It's impressive that anyone can make such a great wine from grapes that they don't control from start to finish and can sell for such a reasonable price. That demonstrates tremendous winemaking chops. ($28) 93 Points.
-Tim Teichgraeber
Spottswoode's Sauvignon Blanc is rightly legendary, and certainly ranks among the elite Sauvignon Blancs of California, if not the world. The grapes come from several, mostly elevated sites around Napa Valley, plus a site on Sonoma Mountain, and the wine is made in a combination of stainless steel tanks, amphora, and a few concrete and ceramic containers. The result is both vibrant and a bit creamy, with vibrant lemongrass, clover, grapefruit, sweet pea, white pineapple, and lime blossom notes. Spectacular. (96 Points)
- Tim Teichgraeber
A great value (and a delicious wine), this zesty white has great layers of kiwi, lime leaf, grapefruit and clover. It's deep, full of sunny California fruit, and would be killer with a summery tomato, watermelon and basil salad. (91 Points)
- Tim Teichgraeber
The estate founder Dr. Titus and his family came to California from Minnesota during the Great Depression. After graduating from Fresno State and serving in World War II, Lee attended medical school and became a radiologist. Meanwhile, Ruth Traverso was growing up in San Francisco's North Beach, where her parents, immigrants from the Piemonte region of Italy, were involved in the family's bakery business. During family vacations in Calistoga, Ruth helped friends harvest their grapes, giving her a love for Napa Valley and rekindling her kinship with grape farming.
Years later, having fallen in love, married and settled in the town of Sonoma with their four sons, Lee and Ruth acquired fifty acres in three separate parcels just north of St. Helena in Napa Valley on the valley floor. Life in 1960's Napa Valley was much simpler than it is today. California's wine industry had yet to achieve its enormous potential, and the land was still affordable for the right purchaser. The vineyard Lee and Ruth Titus acquired in 1968 were originally planted to long-forgotten varietals like Mondeuse, Burger, and Golden Chasselas; alongside were well-known varietals like Pinot Noir, which was poorly suited to the warm, up-valley microclimate. The vineyard needed a major renovation.
In 1972 the Titus family was able to acquire another small, 10-acre vineyard on Ehlers Lane just a half-mile north of their Ranch vineyard. Replanted to Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot on dense, rocky volcanic soils, the vines of the Ehlers Estate Vineyard yield a different expression of Cabernet fruit. Eventually, the brothers were able to produce two distinctly different Cabernets from their Ranch and Ehlers Estate vineyards.
It would be more than twenty years before their sons crushed fruit for the production of the first Titus Vineyards wines in 1990. Although they hoped to one day build a family operated winery, Lee and Ruth spent those interim years raising their sons and growing grapes for other wineries, including Charles Krug, Beaulieu Vineyards, Cuvaison, Quail Ridge, and Pine Ridge. Ultimately, they left the creation of Titus Vineyards wines up to their sons: Phillip now works as Director of Winemaking for Titus Vineyards, while Eric manages the winery and vineyards.
Phillip Corallo-Titus is also the longtime winemaker for the renowned Chappellet Vineyards and the more recent Atlas Peak-focused Acumen label. He should rightly be considered in any discussion of the premier winemakers in Napa Valley based on the wines he makes at Chappellet in the esteemed Pritchard Hill region of Napa Valley.
Titus 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($65) Brambly and intense, this black-fruited cab is supple in mid-palate, but definitely has good acidity and a bit of grippy tension on the finish and could use a few more years in the cellar, but it does seem dominated by fleshy valley floor fruit. It has fresh, deep blackberry, dill, blackcurrant, plum, espresso and toast notes that linger through a long finish. At $65 a bottle, it rates as a pretty good value from Napa Valley these days. (93 Points)
Titus 2019 Cabernet Franc Napa Valley ($62) I adore everything about this wine. It's a TEXTBOOK example of Napa Valley Cabernet Franc, and really of Cabernet Franc in general. It has deep black fruit and penetrating sage and tobacco notes on both the nose and the palate. It isn't overoaked at all, but there are some mild coffee and vanilla notes. The acidity is really nice and keeps the wine balanced on its toes. This is very special. (96 Points)
Titus 2019 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($99) Nice violet rim, fresh violet, madrone scrub, and blueberry nose, but clearly extremely concentrated from the get-go with extremely dark purple color, tons of density and amplitude. There's cassis and red currant fruit, subtle dill notes, massive mouthfeel, a hint of mocha and coffee, pretty well-integrated oak, and a generally well-integrated finish. Not a small wine by any stretch, and probably exactly what Napa buyers are looking for. (94 Points)
Titus 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley ($36) This is a very mellow, creamy Sauvignon Blanc with melon, nectarine, honeysuckle, and grass notes. Sometimes you want a bit of an angular, biting, crisp character out of Sauvignon Blanc, and I feel like all of the corners of this wine are so polished down that it just seems soft all over. This is a good, well-made wine, but it lacks acid, precision, and focus, and it lacks a sense of place. I just wish it were more vibrant and energetic. (87 Points)
- Tim Teichgraeber
High end Sauvignon Blanc is so often over-oaked, and over-burdened with lees stirring, but here the excellent fruit is left to shine with glowing kiwi, passion fruit, pineapple, lime, lemongrass, and grapefruit flavors that just bounce around all over the place like a Juicy Fruit gum-inspired cocktail. It's just the right amount of pungent, grassy and juicy. The stellar fruit is sourced from the Farina Vineyard at the base of Sonoma Mountain, and I applaud the winemaker for not not over-complicating this wine. Made from organically grown grapes. (95 Points)
- Tim Teichgraeber
