2023 Wood Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc – A New Offering!
Wood Family Vineyards will be introducing their new Sauvignon Blanc on April 28th. What makes this different than their current Sauvignon Blanc which is produced in stainless steel tanks, they made a barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc. This entailed making 4 barrels in neutral oak barrels and 1 in an Acacia barrel. After 3 months, they transferred the wine from the Acacia barrel to another neutral barrel. They continued aging the wine in oak for an additional 5 months before bottling.
The great fact of the matter, Sauvignon Blanc wine lovers now will have a choice in two distinct profiles going forward. Best to describe their stainless steel Sauvignon Blanc first and then below under “The Wine” describe this new offering.
Picture on Stainless Steel Produced Sauvignon Blanc photo ©Michael Kelly
A recap from my story written in January on the stainless steel Sauvignon Blanc stated the following:
The stainless steel fermented version is very close to a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with grapefruit, lemon grass, etc. However this is just a bit “tamer’ with pineapple, yet zesty and lively. On the eyes a tantalizing light golden coloring and medium viscosity. On the nose aromas of lemon grass and tropical floral rise up to meet the imbiber. On the palate, the strong flavors of grapefruit and lemon grass swirl about like a party in the mouth. Mostly tart with a faint hint of pineapple and passion fruit. On the finish, a puckering and enjoyable finish of lemon zest. A complete and hearty Sauvignon Blanc from Livermore!! Only 415 cases produced and the wine was released in early March and priced at $34/bottle.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo of new barrel aged Sauvignon Blanc ©Michael Kelly
The first thing you notice is a different bottle. The stainless steel Sauvignon Blanc bottle is clear with a screw cap. The barrel treated version has the colored glass bottle and a cork top.
Generally speaking the specific Acacia wood barrel and stirring of the lees makes the wine feel creamier and much broader on the palate. This is exactly the taste and texture Wood Family Vineyards targeted for this wine. Still the same basic flavors of the stainless steel but some slight nuances. The 2023 Barrel Aged Sauvignon Blanc picked up besides texture qualities, it also mellowed out or tempered the stronger notes of the grapefruit and citrus. The aging also provided a secondary aroma and herbaceous flavors not found in the stainless steel. Also present was more lemon grass and a tinge of vanilla on the finish which was so refreshing and contrasting to the citrus qualities. The wine ends up being refreshing, high in acidity, complex and creamy. This is precisely the qualitative difference Rhonda Wood was striving to make showcasing the barrel aging offering. The release price is set at $40/bottle and is 13.6% alcohol with only 135 cases being produced.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired this evening with a lemon garlic shrimp pasta. The ingredients included whole wheat thin spaghetti, unsalted butter, olive oil, minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, large shrimp, oregano, baby spinach, parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and lemon juice. Accompanied by a warm wilted spinach salad with bits of thick cut peppered bacon, red onion slices, sautéed mushrooms, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and a scosche of bacon grease. Also prepared was an artichoke. The meal was divine with some of my favorite foods. Add the barrel aged Sauvignon Blanc with its citrus qualities and thick viscosity, it was a heavenly meal and one of the better food and wine pairings.
On a personal note, I previously stated her Sauvignon Blanc made my Best Wines of year tasted, I may have to decide which of the two are preferred. In reality they are both delicious and pending on the food pairing, will choose one or the other to have with the meal.
Sláinte,
Michael
California Wines & Wineries 