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
You may also like:
92 Points
Lofty aromas of ripe red fruits layered with notes of crushed violets, berry cobbler, cherry and creme brulee leading into crushed blackberry with cassis, mocha, leather, mineral, and baking spice. Its all encompassing and bold mouthfeel are outstanding, as deep tannins dance around the palate, finishing with flavors of blackberry, fig, and pipe tobacco.
Exceptional
Aromas of bright oak, essence of lilac, toasted brioche and sage delight your senses. Flavors are just as complex with hints of soft melted butter, quince, fig, and a touch of lavender that titillate your taste buds. Its delightful texture is balanced by great acidity, leading to a long satisfying finish. Truly a chardonnay lovers top pick.
90 Points
Dark ruby red in the glass, and good swirl on the nose offers generous aromatics of cassis, black cherry and spice. Generously oaked, with crushed blackberry, baked plums, baking spices, and Turkish fig. A supple body, gives way to red and dark fruit like plum, blueberry compote, prune, with anise and light spice on the finish.
PDF