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Appellation: |
Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District |
Vineyard: |
La Perla, Miravalle |
Clones: |
Spottswoode |
Varietal: |
Sauvignon Blanc 50%, Chardonnay 43%, Muscat Blanc 7% |
Aged: |
9 Months in 50% New French Oak Barrels |
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Winemaker Notes |
| The wine’s floral, honeyed nose
soars from the glass. Tasty and medium-bodied,
with crisp, tangy acidity yet excellent flavor depth
and precision, it is a complex, dry white to enjoy over
the next 2-3 years. The goal is to produce a white similar
to a fine white Graves. Only 14,000 bottles have been
produced. |
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The 1997 Vintage |
| In 1997 we had a dry warm spring with
an early bud break, followed by a dry, warm bloom period. Then came a dry, warm summer with a few spikes of heat
above 100 F°. We enjoyed an early harvest with
a moderate crop size. Total rainfall during growing
season was 2+ inches, which did not affect quality. |
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Spring Mountain Sauvignon Blanc |
| First produced in 1993, the grapes now come from two of our vineyards: La Perla and Miravalle, the property originally planted by Tiburcio Parrott in 1885. Miravalle is one of the warmest areas
on the estate, which ensures fully ripened grapes. La Perla is planted meter by meter (high density) and gobelet trained. This wine expresses a richness along with a backbone that enables
this wine to develop complexity for several years after its original release. |
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Spring Mountain Vineyard |
| Originally four individual historic Napa Valley properties, Miravalle, La Perla, Alba, and Chevalier have now been combined to create an 850 acre estate of forest and vineyard on the eastern slopes of Spring Mountain overlooking the small town of Saint Helena. Over 225 acres of the estate are planted to vine, creating 135 separate hillside vineyard blocks each with its own unique soil, exposure, and microclimate. The vineyard is planted in densities of 4,000 vines per acre and trained to the ancient gobelet form, a vertical trellising method that was invented in an earlier millennium by the Romans. |
Detailed Analysis |
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| Alcohol |
13.89% v/v |
| Total Acidity |
0.65 |
| pH |
3.30 |
| Volatile Acidity |
0.047 g/100 mL |
| Residual Sugar |
0.27 g/100 mL |
| Total SO2 |
77 mg/L |
| Free SO2 |
20 ppm |
| Vineyards |
La Perla and Miravalle |
| Appellation: |
Napa Valley – Spring Mountain District |
| Grape Varieties |
Sauvignon Blanc 50%, Chardonnay 43%, Muscat Blanc 7% |
| Heat Summation |
32-50º days |
| Total Rainfall |
23.3" |
| Season Rainfall |
2.58" |
| Harvest Period |
August 27th – 30th |
| Ferm. Length |
44 days |
| Ferm. Temperature |
80º F |
| Yeast |
VL1 |
| Barrel Type |
French Oak Barrels |
| Toast Level |
Medium + |
| Barrel Age |
50% new, 50% Neutral |
| Time in Barrel |
9 months |
| Barrel Maker |
Demptos, Cadus |
| Fining |
Milk, Isinglass |
| Filtration |
EK50 |
| Bottling Date |
July 24, 1998 |
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