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1 June 2025
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www.beaconhillwine.com
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The just-released 2001 sauvignon blanc from Frog’s Leap
is beautifully balanced, citrusy, rich but not
overbearing with a long, slightly creamy finish.
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MY NOTES SAY "beautifully balanced; citrusy; rich but
not overbearing; long, slightly creamy finish." The
winemakers point to a "remarkable mineral, slate-like
nuance in the aroma." Their enthusiasm is justified.
The wine is 100 percent sauvignon blanc, in
contrast to the common blending of sauvignon and
semillon, which is done to offset a grassy or herbaceous
quality in sauvignon that can be overpowering. No need
here. The organically grown grapes — 85 percent from the
famed Rutherford area of Napa — were 100 percent
fermented in stainless steel (translation: there’s no
oak in the wine). The suggested price is $16. Frog’s
Leap considers sauvignon blanc its signature wine and
made 20,500 cases of the 2001, more than twice that of
most of its other wines, which include cabernet
sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay and zinfandel.
So, just how do they get it so right and so
good? I got some insights the other day on the Frog’s
Leap philosophy, and on growing sauvignon blanc, in a
conversation with John Williams, Frog’s Leap’s owner and
principal winemaker, who set down his roots in Napa in
1981. He considers sauvignon blanc "a much more
expressive varietal than chardonnay." He says that, if
grown correctly, it doesn’t produce that very strong
herbaceous taste and, therefore, needs no blending with
semillon, or aging in oak barrels as some winemakers do,
mimicking the common practice with chardonnay. Oak in
sauvignon, he says, is "like putting Brut aftershave on
something that already smells pretty good" and turns the
wine into "a poor man’s chardonnay." |
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Beacon Hill Wine and Spirits, specializing in hard to find wines, champagnes and spirits
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