A few Lake County winemakers tinker with Sauvignon Blanc’s new world tradition. They rest it in wood, concrete or varying combinations of steel and oak. There’s so much of it about — Lake County devotes 22 percent of its vineyard land to the varietal — they have plenty of latitude to play around.
But not Laujor Estate’s Cheryl Lucido. Although she produces a Musque and once turned a mislabeled crop of grapes into the popular Rose of Mistaken Identity, she holds firm when it comes to the plentiful white varietal.
“We have never oaked Sauvignon Blanc,” she said. “It’s so good in stainless — you get brighter fruit.”
Her 2015 Laujor Sauvignon Blanc is a passage to fall orchards straining to hold their crop. Aromas of ripe peach clinging to the limb, apricot dropped into shaded meadow grass and leaves drying under the sun appeal to this bucolic image.
Of course, for those who spent more time furtively dipping into grandma’s candy dish than in the rolling fields of rural America, thoughts of hard fruit candy, wrapped and waiting, might be more on the mark.
Either way, the wine expresses beautiful fruit. Ripe peach and apricot, along with a dab of fresh mango and crisp apple splash across the palate. The fruits purl over a nip of bitter herb and a grounding hint of pomace — that trickle of minerality that defines a memorable Sauvignon Blanc.
A brisk citrus appears on the finish to spur the stone fruits, which never really relent in their revelry. Yet this is balanced by a prick of grass and a raspy hush of red apple peel.
It’s what you want in a Sauvignon Blanc — pleasantry, dazzling fruit, a sylvan riposte and a crisp, refreshing bite.
To achieve this, Lucido employed what she refers to as “typical winemaking.”
“We keep it cold — slow, steady fermentation,” she explained. “I just try to keep it as lively as possible.”
Lucido introduced a different yeast strain for the 2015, which she believes nudged the fruit a few steps forward. It’s the only break from proven technique she allows in her winemaking, at least when it comes to this particular varietal.
“I like to tr different yeast strains to see what components they add to the wine,” she said. “It’s fun — though maybe I’ll stop when I find the perfect match.”
Judging by the Laujor 2015 Sauvignon Blanc, it’s about time she end her playful wandering. It’s difficult to imagine a better match.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
