February 24, 2021 - Still less moving than previous vintages but offers up fresh notes of stone fruit, lime, moderate body, touch of sweetness. 93
December 11, 2020 - Sauvignon Blanc from Howell Mountain. Pretty explosive notes of gooseberries, ripe lemon, some freshly cut grass, also some leafy notes of mint, also a touch of seashell minerality. It's medium+ bodied, with good persistence, has medium+ acidity and pretty good length. A nice, SB that shows quite some varietal character, there is a touch of alcohol that is recognizable and it could use a touch more freshness from my perspective. Still very good.
October 24, 2020 - Smooth, pineapple, lemon, finishes smoothly and with notes of guava, want just a touch more acid on the finish. Although some library selections are occasionally offered, I really think this drinks much better young. 92-93
October 11, 2020 - Tropical notes on the nose, good balance on the palate with stone fruit, acid, honey. Very good for the vintage slightly less body than previous. 92
July 12, 2020 - Tropical rich fruit with great balance and heft
June 10, 2020 - Very pleasurable over 2 days - on PnP had some musty old-world type nose which wasn’t unpleasant but more unexpected. The body is all SB with tropical fruit and acid, but Sam Kaplan works some magic with the touch of semillon and the waxiness adds a huge amount of texture. Still one of my absolute favorite Sauvignon Blancs - there were some vintage bottles offered but my experiences with older SB has been less than stellar; I recommend drinking within 2-3 years max of release. Awesome wine.
April 9, 2020 - Pulled out for an online tasting with the Arkenstone crew. This is indeed drinking really well. It's a white wine for a red wine palate. Just more complex and different and interesting a real mouthful. There's acidity here that keeps it in balance, but this reminds me a bit of a good white rhone (I don't drink a ton of white bordeaux which is the inspiration of this one). Lovely as always.
March 24, 2020 - Typical SB notes with tropical fruit, has a really good acid and lemon kick toward the end of the palate, very balanced and a touch of time in the glass or a quick decant will really let it flex. I do feel like it lacks some of the complexity and body of previous vintages. There was some discussion on the age-worthiness of the SB, but I really like these younger. 93+
March 17, 2020 - This lithe yet complex Sauvignon Blanc blend is drinking beautifully right now, with a depth and energy that are completely charming. Light yellow in color; medium in body; nose of grapefruit, gooseberry, lime, and saline. Tastes of orange peel, lemon curd, wet grass, and ground quartz, with a layered and lifted finish that starts zippy and, with air, becomes more briny. Blend of 94% Sauvignon Blanc and 6% Sémillon. 14.5% alcohol. One of the best domestic Sauvignon Blancs I've ever tasted. Drink in next few years.
January 6, 2020 - Another Year, Another Napa (aka Winter in Wineland IV); 1/5/2020-1/11/2020 (Napa/Sonoma California): This is not a wine for the faint of heart. You need to be ready for a serious red and yet make do with the white. When I was earlier in my wine drinking and didn't drink whites at all this was a very appealing style for me. Now I find myself almost resetting the palate to get ready for it. This is unctuous. A bit sweet. Lots of the honey, Good acidity. Just a touch of green and it's more like a whisper and to be honest it's the piece that keeps the wine a bit more in balance for me. Because at the end of the day while it's an intense wine, it's a very well made wine as well. I continue to be impressed.