2011 Sauvignon Blanc Georgia
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(from vines planted in 1988): Bright pale yellow. Pure, pungent aromas of citrus peel, honeycomb, dried herbs and spices. Complex, intense and rich in extract, showing terrific cut and energy to the flavors of lime, fresh pineapple, minerals and fresh herbs. An outstanding vintage for this bottling: this could do major damage in a flight of whites from Pessac-Leognan. Finishes tactile and very long. This was barrel-fermented and then aged for 18 months in 100% new oak, but the wood does not stand out at all. (The 2012 had just gone into tank before I tasted the Lail wines with Robin Lail and winemaker Philippe Melka.)
Punteggi della critica
Punteggio medio
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Altre recensioni e punteggi
Lail's 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Georgia is impeccable, rich and layered, yet also light on its feet for such an intense wine. The 2011 wraps around the palate with melon, honey, spices, white flowers and mint. Fermentation and aging in oak gives the wine much of its textural depth, breadth and volume. This is a striking wine from Lail. The Georgia is made from vineyards in Yountville and Coombsville. Consulting winemaker Philippe Melka fermented and aged the 2011 in French oak barrels, with frequent lees stirring, an approach that is commonly seen with Chardonnay, but less so with Sauvignon Blanc.
Because of the cooler, wetter vintage conditions, the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Georgia offers a different expression of Sauvignon. Abundant citrus, honeysuckle, fig and caramelized grapefruit aromas jump from the glass of this elegant, medium-bodied, zesty, lighter-styled but intense effort. One of my favorite small wineries in Napa Valley, Lail Vineyards produces the most singular and distinctive Sauvignon Blanc in Napa. Although it’s expensive, it is a delicious Sauvignon modeled after a great white Graves, and is meant for long-term cellaring. In most vintages, around 300 cases are produced. Lail’s less expensive Cabernet Sauvignon, Blueprint, comes from four to six different appellations, ranging from the cooler Yountville and Coombsville areas in southern Napa Valley, to mountain vineyards such as Howell Mountain and further north to the warmest region of Napa Valley, Calistoga. The wine spends 18 months in French oak, of which about half is new. Tel. (707) 968-9900
(tasted shortly before bottling; made entirely with fruit from the Totem Vineyard in Yountville): Hazy pale yellow. Wonderfully vibrant aromas of green melon, lime, wild herbs and spices. Less plush but more sappy than the outstanding 2010 (which I rated 93 again in March), with the mid-palate offering a burst of pineapple fruit complicated by leesy and herbal nuances. This was aged almost entirely in new oak but the wood element is perfectly integrated. Finishes with outstanding grip and rising length. Really exciting potential.