Napa Valley is home to dozens of excellent Sauvignon Blanc wines. The grape ripens fully there in most years. Napa Valley’s winemakers can choose when to harvest based on the fruit character and level of acidity they prefer, rather than out of necessity at the end of a short growing season. The wines rarely exhibit those notes of bell pepper, tomato leaf and cooked asparagus that many people find off-putting in Sauvignon Blanc from other regions.

Some of the best Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc are modeled after dry white Bordeaux. Often called Fumé Blanc, the wines are aged in French oak to soften and gain complexity. As in Bordeaux, the addition of Semillon is common, providing further palate weight. To me, the pinnacle of this style of wine in Napa Valley is the Robert Mondavi Winery Sauvignon Blanc I Block To Kalon Vineyard.

More and more, one can find delicious Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc wines that are unoaked. Most are fermented cold in stainless steel tanks to maintain as much fresh fruit and acidity as possible. Lately, some winemakers opt for cement tanks instead of stainless for a touch of softness on the palate. As with the barrel-aged wines, extended skin or lees contact can add complexity and texture. Napa Valley is a warm growing region though, even the unoaked, single-variety wines can have medium-plus body and alcohol.

The 2009 Voss Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc is an excellent version of the fresh, unoaked style. However, it manages to deliver a complex range of flavors and clean yet satisfying mouthfeel with an alcohol content of just 11.5%. It’s a great achievement and, not surprisingly, a favorite among local wine experts demonstrating the potential of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

The 2009 Voss is a very pale lemon-green in the glass, almost colorless. The nose has plenty of personality though, with gooseberry, guava, lime, grapefruit, jalapeno and chalky mineral. The palate's dry and medium-bodied with light texture from skin contact. Flavors include crisp green apple, gooseberry, guava, grapefruit, and lime pith. It finishes long and zesty.

Voss’ Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc is a versatile wine. Use it as an apertif, a poolside sipper, a party quaffer or as a partner to deep fried seafood or green salads. It will be best when young, so drink it now through 2012. Highly Recommended.

2009 Voss Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley
Rating: Highly Recommended

Drink: Now through 2012
Release Date: February, 2011

Closure: Screwcap
Production: 3,900
Retail Price: $18

The wine above was provided by for tasting by the San Francisco Wine School during it’s class on Napa Valley.

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