The past decade or so has not been kind to the many California producers of sauvignon blanc. While France’s Loire Valley still sets the standard by which all others are judged, New Zealand has stolen the sauvignon blanc thunder in recent years, with Chile, South Africa and Australia also now vying for hot spot status.
But now there is a stunning sauvignon blanc from Napa Valley, which is best known, of course, for its opulent chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons. The 2004 Sauvignon Blanc from the Hall winery sets a California benchmark for the variety. It is not big-fruit sauvignon posing as chardonnay, nor is it aged in oak and overshadowed by it, as some from Napa are. Instead, it is mouthwatering yet lean, opulent yet refreshing — an altogether gorgeous wine that is well worth the $20 price.
My guess is that you may not have heard about Hall, which is understandable given that the winery in St. Helena is only a couple of years old (although Hall has been producing cabernet sauvignon since the late 1990s).
Hall was started by Craig and Kathryn Hall — he the chairman of a Dallas-based real-estate development and investment company, she part of a Mendocino County family of grape growers and a lawyer who served as U.S. ambassador to Austria under Bill Clinton.
The Halls have been accumulating property in Napa and in the Alexander Valley in Sonoma County and currently have more than 400 acres of vineyards on about 3,300 acres of land. Their stated goal is to create “world-class” Bordeaux-style wines — cabernet, merlot and sauvignon blanc.
The new sauvignon release (the second vintage of the wine) suggests that they are well on their way. For starters, it is distinguished by its classic sauvignon character, unlike some from California that are less expressive and more generic, including another small-production sauvignon from Napa that I tasted recently.
Vivid notes of grapefruit, melon and lemon offer a beguiling introduction when the wine is first inhaled and are joined by pear, tropical fruit and minerals in the mouth. The wine is round and balanced with a long and memorable finish.
About 1,100 cases were produced. The fruit was from two vineyards, one owned by the Halls in the Pope Valley area of Napa, the other near Yountville, which, with its relatively cool climate, is known for sauvignon blanc. Hall’s wines are distributed in major markets. You can find out more and contact them at www.hallwines.com.
Edward Deitch's wine column appears Wednesdays. He welcomes comments from readers. Write to him at EdwardDeitch