J.Lohr Vineyards & Wines: Wines

2007 J. Lohr Carol's Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

The 2007 vintage got off to an early start with bud break occurring in late March in St. Helena, followed by a warm, dry spring and early summer with scant rainfall. Additionally, what looked to be an average year in terms of cluster numbers and thus yield turned out to be a very light vintage due to fewer and lighter berries per bunch of both greater flavor and acid retention. This all translated to an accelerated Sauvignon Blanc vintage. Flavor and sugar development came on rapidly with our first pick of high-acid, herbal, gooseberry-flavored Sauvignon Blanc on August 10th at 22.6º Brix, followed by our second harvest on August 15th at 24.1º Brix, where the flavors emerged closer to grapefruit and passion fruit. Finally, we harvested our last portion of Sauvignon Blanc on August 20th – before the start of most of our Carol’s Vineyard harvests – at 25.4º Brix. This last fruit harvested brought strong peach and passion fruit flavors with tremendous, rich mouth-feel. In the 2007 vintage, we destemmed, pressed and settled the Sauvignon Blanc in tanks, followed by fermentation in a combination of French oak barrels, stainless steel barrels and stainless steel tanks. All winemaking was done in a very reductive environment (excluding oxygen) and the resultant wine is an elegant style of delicately herbal, citrusy, passion fruit flavored Sauvignon Blanc.

Vineyards

Carol’s Vineyard is a thirty-four acre parcel located in north St. Helena in the Napa Valley, bordered on the east by the Napa River and the north by Pratt Avenue. Sauvignon Blanc represents 10.88 acres of Carol’s Vineyard and is planted in the eastern portion of the vineyard adjacent to the Napa River where outstanding Sauvignon Blanc has grown. The soils are very loamy with a fair amount of gravel and are very well drained. The Clone 1 Sauvignon Blanc is grown on a quadrilateral cordon trellis to control vine vigor, preserving a single leaf layer in the south-exposed fruit zone, providing only dappled sun exposure to the grape clusters, and preserving some of the natural herbaceous fruit character.

Technical Data

Origin: Carol’s Vineyard, Napa Valley AVA
Composition: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Harvest Dates: August 10th, 15th and 20th 2007
Process: Hand harvested, early morning, crushed and pressed in the Napa Valley

Harvest Chemistries;
First Harvest: 22.6º Brix average, pH=3.05, Total Acidity 0.79 g/100 ml
Second Harvest: 24.1º Brix average, pH=3.17, Total Acidity 0.66 g/100 ml
Third Harvest: 25.4º Brix average, pH=3.34, Total Acidity 0.63g/100 ml

Vinification:
    Yeast: Vin 7 and VL 3
    Skin Contact: None
    Fermentation: 32.9% in stainless steel tank, 55.9% in stainless steel barrels and 11.2% in new and second-fill Francois Frères French oak barrels
    Maturation: 4 1/2 months in stainless steel and barrel on light lees Post-maturation: Racked and pad filtered, prior to bottling
    Post-Maturation: Racked and pad filtered, prior to bottling.

Bottling Chemistries:
    pH: 3.20
    Total Acidity: 0.71g/l00 ml
    Alcohol: 13.8% by volume
    Residual sugar: Dry

Winemaker's Comments

The 2007 J. Lohr Carol’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is a pale, youthful, straw-yellow color with a very inviting grapefruit, gooseberry, passion fruit, gun flint and faint herbaceous freshness. On the palate, the wine has excellent weight and bright acidity with clean fruit flavors reminiscent of the aromas – grapefruit, passion fruit and melon - making the J. Lohr Carol’s Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc an excellent accompaniment to sautéed or grilled seafood or poultry, or even an entrée salad. Serve at 45 to 50 degrees.

Jeff Meier, winemaker

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