ENA Mariah Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Mendocino Ridge 2020

In a year when travel was not possible and we all collectively yearned for adventure, the winemakers at ENA were hard at work vinifying a wine that could transport its drinker and give a taste of exploration: the 2020 Mariah Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. This debut vintage of Sauvignon Blanc is the second offering from winemakers Eglantine Chauffour and Alberto Bianchi of ENA wines. Eglantine and Alberto are no strangers to travel having worked in nearly every wine region that you'd want to drink Sauvignon Blanc from; from Europe to Australia and New Zealand, to South Africa and Argentina. Winemaking brought the two together in 2010 while working at Cape Mentelle in Margaret River, Australia. Eglantine and Alberto settled in Sonoma County in 2014, hoping to bring the cultures and winemaking style of their travels to Northern California. In the couple's own words "ENA wines are made to share our passion, to make you travel in a unique place and time and mostly to be enjoyed" and we know the 2020 Sauvignon Blanc will do just that.
 
The expression of place and time in wine is linked so strongly to the winemaking ethos at ENA that the brand was launched only after discovering Mariah Vineyards in Mendocino County. Both Eglantine and Alberto were awed and inspired amongst the vines and knew their search was over. Mariah Vineyards, owned and farmed by Dan and Vicki Dooling, sits at an astonishing 2,600 feet of elevation, 5 miles off the Pacific coast in the Mendocino Ridge AVA. One of the smallest sub-AVAs in California, it boasts only 75 acres planted to vine and is the only non-contiguous wine region in the country. Vineyards must sit above 1,200 feet of elevation to be considered Mendocino Ridge which places them above the fog line and has garnered them the nickname "islands in the fog" as the peaks break through the dense clouds.This elevation provides strong sun exposure which allows the grapes to ripen fully during the day and rest with cool ocean breezes at night. The rocky, mountain soils lend to good drainage and vines that dig deep into the earth, producing wines with powerful aromatics and intense minerality.
 
The winemakers at ENA are committed to the authentic expression of the terroir of their wines and therefore, are conscious of the environmental effects of the winemaking process. Mariah Vineyards are organically farmed using no irrigation. In addition to their sustainable practices in the vineyard, you will notice ENA wines are in lightweight bottles with no capsules, helping to limit their carbon footprint. In early September 2020, Eglantine and Alberto made the call for picking to commence and Dan drove the 2 tons of Sauvignon Blanc grapes down the mountain at 4:00 am, still holding the chill of early morning mountain air. This wine was fermented with natural yeasts in neutral oak barrels and 30% underwent malolactic fermentation. It was then aged in those same barrels for a period of 6 months, having the lees gently stirred once a month. Off the bat, this Sauvignon Blanc wakens you with notes of lime and bergamot citrus zest, gooseberries, and freshly cut grass and progresses quickly to hints of oyster shell and salty air, certainly a result of those ocean breezes. On the palate, the wine has bracing acidity, dense rich mid-palate, and long and persistent minerality. Eglantine and Alberto spent their careers working and traveling the world and have brought forth a classic Sauvignon Blanc expression from one of California's up-and-coming wine-growing regions.