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
92 Points
Inviting aromas of ripe cherry, strawberry, and pomegranate. The palate unfolds with layered flavors of black cherry, raspberry cordial, vanilla bean and spice, where focused tannins envelop, leading to a rich red fruit finish with blue fruit undertones.
90 Points
Rich and voluptuous with ripe raspberry, cherry, and plum, layered with hints of lavender, fig compote, and exotic spice. Concentrated and complex, the palate is a balanced interplay cocoa, and a hint of espresso, creating both richness and intrigue. Vibrant acidity and silky tannins that contribute heft and length that coat the palate with luscious ripeness that keeps on giving.
94 Points
Deep garnet in color from the ripe 2018 vintage, with open aromas of lush fruit – plum, blackberry, and cherry, and notes of cedar, vanilla, and white pepper. Across the palate it's quite seamless and silky, rich and concentrated. The fruit flavors are bold and vibrant. Mouth-filling with smooth tannins, great texture and a long delicious finish.
96 Points
Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, huckleberry, floral violet and savory spice. The palate is full and layered, with robust, age-worthy tannins and gorgeous flavors of dark berries, mocha and chocolate-covered cherries mingling with hints of graphite, fig and fine leather. Smooth tannins, firm structure and silky texture coat the palate on route to a long, generous finish.
Gold Medal
Generously packed with black cherry, cola, cassis, and plum that all intermingle together in a creamy, velvety texture with great layering, finishing with delightful notes of oak and spice. Persistent, well-defined structure, wonderfully balanced.
Exceptional!
Reddish-purple in color with aromas of blackberry, plum, pomegranate, herbs de Provence, and licorice. The palate is full, structured and balanced with blackberry, currant, black cherry, cassis, and licorice that carries through, with notes of black pepper, mocha and chocolate. Very long, spicy, with a fruit-driven finish. Great aging potential.
94 Points
A classic expression of coastal influenced Chardonnay with aromas of honey, apple chutney, lime blossom, and gentle Indian spice box undertones. A big juicy entry on the palate, showing a silky texture with excellent tension and structure, ending with a complex, layered finish.
97 Points
Rich dark fruit flavors of blackberry and cherry with notes of baking spices, licorice, coffee, and chocolate that interlace seamlessly with complexity, creating a wine that is both structured and delightfully supple, achieving an ideal balance of tension and grace. Artfully composed of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon with 17% Cabernet Franc, resulting in harmonious depth and freshness.
95 Points
Lofty aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, and plum mingle with hints of baking spices and a touch of violet. The palate reveals luscious flavors of ripe berries, complemented by notes of black pepper and a subtle earthiness. With well-integrated tannins and a long lingering finish.
94 Points
Juice explodes right out of the glass with its dark purple in color and bursting aromas of black cherry jam, boysenberry, raspberry and wild cherry interlaced with hints of baking spice, espresso bean, and toasted nut. The palate is ripe and juicy with flavors of dark cherry, huckleberry and raspberry perfectly integrated with notes of spice, dark chocolate, and a kiss of toasty oak.
Gold Medal
Light pink in color with aromas of watermelon, cranberry, orange rind, and fresh spring flowers that leap from the glass. The palate offers more peach, strawberry, and melon, with an intriguing note of rose and hibiscus. It's crisp with just the perfect hint of red fruit, and delicate whisper of strawberry that gives goosebumps.
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