The grapes for this beautiful wine from James Jelks of Florèz come from 50+ year-old vines in Redwood Valley, Mendocino, lovingly farmed by the Upton family, who have maintained organic certification for this vineyard since 1990. Once harvested, the grapes were brought down to Florèz' facility in Santa Cruz, where they were destemmed and left to rest on skins overnight. The majority of the wine was fermented in stainless steel to maintain aromatics and purity; 35% of the wine was aged in neutral French oak barrels. Aged for six months on the lees before bottling, this wine received no additions of any kind, including sulfur. We cannot get over the beauty here: it defies what we know of Sauvignon Blanc in California, being both exuberant but very elegant, vibrant but not wild. Really an extraordinary accomplishment for such a young winery. Do not miss!
