2023 Wood Family Vineyards Barrel Aged Sauvignon Blanc
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Wood Family Vineyards introduced their new Sauvignon Blanc on April 28th, 2024. 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.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©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
Tonight’s dinner was a BBQ’ed and quickly seared Atlantic Salmon. Rather than marinating the fish, I constructed a pasta/sauce to add while BBQ-ing. Also drizzled on the salmon when plated. It consisted of wasabi, fresh ginger, minced garlic, low sodium soy sauce, sesame seed oil, honey, and fresh ground black pepper. This wine was chosen for the meal so as to envelope the tangy sauce with the mouthful and creamy Sauvignon Blanc. The combination of the tangy sauce on the fish with the Sauvignon Blanc was excellent. Accompanied by sautéed asparagus, artichoke and a fresh garden salad. A great food and wine pairing!
Sláinte,
Michael