2017 Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc
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Tasting notes
The 2017 Sauvignon Blanc showed nicely, with a bright, lemony, and white grapefruit-driven bouquet as well as a medium-bodied, crisp style. It’s always a singular expression of Sauvignon and should keep for 4-6 years.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2017 Sauvignon Blanc is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, coming from a small section of estate vines closer to the Napa river. It is entirely fermented in French oak, but only about 5% is new. The grapes are pressed straight to barrels and kept on their gross lees. The wine is fermented using native yeasts. This vintage, the nose is not at all shy—it comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant scents of ripe peaches, passion fruit and musk perfume plus wafts of honeycomb, elderflower, ripe gooseberries and lemongrass with a waft of Bosc pears. The palate is super intense and yet ethereally weighted, light-bodied and oh-so-fine, elegant and refreshing, featuring a whole array of chalk and sea spray sparks, creating a shimmer to all the many citrus and stone fruit layers, finishing with great length and energy. There is a truly interesting phenolic texture to the palate that reminds me of some Chardonnays, particularly Burgundian examples. Winemaker Nick Gislason commented that the gross lees contain a lot of phenolic content, which is where the wine picks up that textural component. Love it!
About the producer
Screaming Eagle is one of the Napa Valley’s original cult Cabernets. Right from the first release, the now iconic producer garnered huge scores and a fanatic following.