As the 2020 vintage starts to hit the marketplace, questions about fire damage abound when it comes to northern California producers. For the most part, I’m happy to allay your fears when it comes to white wines, as most were off the vine and well into processing prior to the start of the fires. Here’s a great example – a wine sourced from cool microclimates in Sonoma County, picked at a perfect sugar content to ensure vibrant acidity and full throttle aromatics. Thanks to that effort, we get to enjoy a wine that delivers grapefruit, lime and melon aromas and flavors that are carried on vibrant acidity that’s nicely rounded off by neutral oak aging. Bone dry style is a big plus as well, and it has my mouth watering for oysters. Let’s eat!
Alma De Cattleya, Sonoma County (California) Sauvignon Blanc 2020
By Rich Cook