Wine Detail

Tangent Sauvignon Blanc

Category:	WHITE
Vintage:	2005
Title:	Tangent Sauvignon Blanc
Producer:	Tangent Winery
Grape:	Sauvignon Blanc
Country:	USA
Region:	CA:Central Coast
Subregion:	Edna Valley
Vineyard:	Paragon Vineyard
Taste Profile:	Crisp & Clean, Mineral
Tasting Notes:	Crisp, Lemon, Passion Fruit, Refeshing, Minerally
Score:	88 [QV]
Description:	Owned and farmed by the Niven family, the Paragon Vineyard in the Edna Valley of California provides grapes for this wine. Originally planted in 1973, these are most likely the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vines south of the North Coast. With the Pacific Ocean lying only four miles to the west, its influence creates one of the longest growing seasons in the state. As in the cool climates of both France and New Zealand, the grapes leisurely ripen, creating fruit of structured minerality and good acid backbone. Winemaker Christian Roguenant doesn’t take Sauvignon Blanc making lightly; in fact, he has developed quite a complicated method. Not only does he harvest in three stages, he keeps up to ten or eleven lots separate the entire way through the winemaking process. Additionally, he employs traditional techniques to achieve pure varietal character in his finished wine. Christian harvests at different levels of ripeness in order to achieve his ideal finished wine. One portion is picked a bit early; the higher acid and lower sugar in the berries bring a crisp citrus and slight herbal character. The middle portion is harvested at balanced ripeness, while the third is picked a little later in the season. The fruit in this last batch provides tropical notes and a round mouthfeel. Clusters are picked from different vineyard blocks at each of the three stages, and fermented separately. There is no oak influence or malo-lactic fermentation added, as Christian sticks to the age-old methods. There are generally ten or so separate wines made during the winemaking process, and he painstakingly blends them to his liking before bottling. This Sauvignon Blanc is a blend of French and New Zealand styles, with true varietal characteristics. It highlights grapefruit, passion fruit, green apple and lemon, and has a good grassy structure of minerals and lively acidity. Fabulous with spicy foods like Thai and Mexican, this wine is my favorite with just plain goat cheese spread on crackers.

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