Napa Valley

Full

Cork

White

Bella Oaks estate in Rutherford is owned by Suzanne Deal Booth, with Nigel Kinsman as winemaker and this vintage with the late Michel Rolland as consulting winemaker, a partnership Kinsman has maintained since 2003. Kinsman tells me they planted white grapes on the property for the first time in 2019, with the inaugural release coming online in 2024. The fruit is harvested in three separate picks across the small planted acreage, whole-bunch pressed and fermented in stainless steel for 7-10 days, with twice-daily stirring on the gross lees. Nigel tastes continually, racking once he achieves the desired intensity, before settling the wine in a mix of neutral and new oak (around 20% new overall) for approximately nine months prior to bottling. The resulting expression is intensely mineral-driven, laced with white pepper, citrus pith, and subtle phenolic tension that lends a serious edge, accented by notes of white flowers, crushed almond, and a dash of sea salt.

Sauvignon Blanc

Bella Oaks, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, Rutherford, California, USA, 2024

Bella Oaks estate in Rutherford is owned by Suzanne Deal Booth, with Nigel Kinsman as winemaker and this vintage with the late M

Bella Oaks, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, Rutherford, 2024

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