Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Napa Valley, California – USA
Cost: $18 (usually retails for $20-$25)
My Review: Summer has arrived in Raleigh, North Carolina, and with it heat and humidity. That also means it’s time for me to break out the light, crisp wines that will help me get through this season, and I started this year with the 2019 Ruston Sauvignon Blanc from the Napa Valley.
Located just west of the town of St. Helena at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains, Ruston Family Vineyards covers 3.6 acres, with soil consisting of a mix of loam, rocks and gravel, and volcanic rhyolite from a nearby creek, all giving their wines a unique, complex flavor. They grow grapes from 8 different vinifera clones planted on three rootstocks. What they don’t grow on the vineyard, they purchase from trusted, quality growers, including Stagecoach Vineyard and Kenefick Ranch.
I purchased the 2019 Ruston Sauvignon Blanc from Last Bottle during their most recent Marathon Sale. Having recently traveled to Boston for work, I returned to high heat and even higher humidity, which called for a crisp, refreshing white wine as my wife and I sat on our patio–a perfect situation for this wine.
In the glass the wine was more golden than I was expecting. On the nose I got aromas of citrus, lime in particular taking the lead. In the mouth the Sauvignon Blanc carried through those citrus notes and were joined by flavors of gooseberry, a touch of tangerine, and chalky, mineral notes (which I attribute to the soil the grapes were grow in) that gave the wine a nice clean, refreshing finish.
My wife and I didn’t pair this wine with anything, simply enjoying it on a warm Friday to welcome to the weekend, but I think you could pair this wine with a wide range of foods–oysters to start, but I think some herb roasted chicken would also be a really good balance to the wine.
I enjoyed this wine more than my wife did, thanks in part to the more muted citrus notes than what she prefers (she likes her South American Sauvignon Blanc and all the tart citrus that comes with it), but for the price (both what I paid or retail), this is a great summer option for a white wine that will pair well with food, but can also be enjoyed by itself. Definitely one I would reach for again at a store.
