2009 PICAZO Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley
Picazo Vineyards is operated by a husband and wife team that got started in the wine industry when they purchased a property in the Livermore Valley planed with several acres of Merlot. While they originally planned to sell their fruit to other producers, like so many others they couldn’t resist the chance to bottle their own wine. And once they got started, they decided to expand their production to other varieties, which required sourcing fruit from other vineyards. Their Sauvignon Blanc comes from the Yountville area of Napa Valley, toward the cooler Southern end of the valley, which allows Sauvignon Blanc to retain its acidity and freshness.
The 2009 Picazo Sauvignon Blanc is pale straw in color with just a hint of green. It boasts a lovely nose of tropical fruit, melon, pineapple and peach with mineral accents and a very subtle herbal note. Surprisingly full bodied for a Sauvignon Blanc, the palate is classy and full, but with good acidity to hold together the stone-fruit and petrol flavors. Like the Spring Mountain Sauvignon Blanc we offered several weeks ago, the Picazo shows the depth and richness that Sauvignon Blanc is capable of when it is aged in neutral oak barrels. With plenty of acidity to go along with the rich mouthfeel, this is a perfect wine for raw oysters, or pasta with shellfish and cream sauce. Another wonderful summer white, and one of the first 2009s to hit the market from California, this is bursting with fresh flavors!
Analysis:
Composition: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Alcohol: 14.2%
PH: 3.34
TA: 6.8 g/L
Production: 160 cases
Bottled: March 4, 2010
Release: May 2010
Tasting Notes 
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PICAZO Vineyards
Proprietors Jose and Pam Picazo immediately fell in love with their exquisite Italian villa-style home in the foothills of Livermore Valley. Surrounded by a Mediterranean-like environment, who wouldn’t fall in love amid olive trees, purple-flowering rosemary and lavender bushes atop undulating hills? First, the Picazo’s planned on applying their agricultural roots to farm the 14 acres of pristinely planted Merlot vines surrounding their home and selling off the grapes to large regional producers. Creating a wine of their own was not Jose and Pam’s original intent yet with a passion for the earth and desire for quality they decided to hold back a portion of the vineyard’s fruit and bottle it under the family name.
Both Jose and Pam have a history of doing things well. Their philosophy is to learn everything possible about the subject at hand.
Pam forged her career as a pioneer in customer advocacy in the automotive industry, acting as a mediator between manufacturer, dealer and car buyer. She has also been an active and dedicated f
und-raiser for non-profits in Silicon Valley. A problem solver, trouble shooter and creative solution provider, Pam brings these skills to her new enterprise of Picazo Vineyards.
“With my Italian heritage,” says Pam, “I’ve always been attracted to good wine and good food in a setting that embraces family and friends. Creating our own winery is an ultimate expression of sharing the pleasures of fine wine.”
Jose is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who has been immersed in electronics technology since his high school days. Beginning with computer repair and consulting, he leaped into design, manufacture and sales of network equipment, just in time to catch the wave that became the Internet. He has developed and sold several successful companies and is currently founder, president and CEO of Iconix, an e-mail fraud solution software company.
“High technology changes so quickly,” says Jose, “that I never thought it made sense to look at the business in terms of 10-year plans. I look at the current situation and when all the necessary elements are available, you can create a new product. That’s how everything came together for our winery – the right vineyard location and grape variety, Pam’s capability and commitment, and Mark Clarin’s winemaking and viticultural skills and experience. My job is to keep us focused on quality, to make sure we are producing the very best red Bordeaux wines possible.”
Learn more at www.picazovineyards.com.
