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2002 Fumé Blanc, North Coast

Vintage

Vintage 2002 started wet, even before the calendar said it was 2002 - we almost had our seasonal average of rain before the New Year - with January and February being unusually dry and typically cold. We had light rain at the end of March that slowed down budbreak but without causing any major problems. Unsettled weather through spring kept things interesting. More cool weather in May extended bloom, which could have caused uneven ripening. At the end of May we were about two weeks behind 2001. Veraison began in late July, later than average, but earlier than 1998 and 1999. Moving into the final stages of the growing season we were in pretty good shape considering that our summer had been fairly mild. We began harvesting Sauvignon Blanc on August 23rd, which was within just a few days of our starting date in the previous two years. 2002 was a vintage won in the vineyard, beginning shortly after budbreak with shoot thinning, and on through the season with crop thinning to balance the vines and eliminate any damaged or delayed fruit. This work by our growers allowed us to bring in ripe, uniform, high quality fruit with intense flavors and nice natural acid levels.

Vinification

Our winemaking focus is to craft a true-to-varietal, crisp, fresh, bright, fruity Fumé Blanc with a nice subtle grassiness and a hint of vanilla from fermenting on oak. After strict canopy management and crop thinning, the lots were tank fermented in stainless steel. The special care that encouraged the perfect fruit/acid balance in the vineyard was also taken in the cellar to ensure the same balance in the bottle. The wine was bottled in March 2002. Alcohol: 13.5%, Total Acidity: .57, pH: 3.3, Residual Sugar: .09.

Tasting Notes

This wine is medium to full-bodied, crisp and bright wine which combines the flavor of ripe, tropical and citrus fruit with a subtle grassiness. Drink with roast pork, raw oysters, ceviche (raw marinated fish), dolmas (grape leaves stuffed with herbed rice), or chicken chow mein.