Arkenstone Estate, Howell Mountain – Napa Valley (California) Sauvignon Blanc 2020

 Very much like a cru Medoc white – 94% Sauvignon, 6% Semillon – with its broader, but nevertheless lean, spectrum of green flavors that range from almost-mint to lime and in its being a more full-bodied wine than its Loire or New Zealand counterparts.  It also has wood notes and sur-lie elements to add to its richness and complexity.  Taken together with its older sibling, the 2017 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, it shows that Sauvignon can mature for many months in oak and in bottle without losing its freshness.