Grape Culture Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2021

When we first heard about Grape Culture, owner and winemaker Collin Cranor sat in ACME's gallery enjoying an IPO Tasting and admiring our famous wall of Napa Valley launches and legends.  When booking this tasting for old winemaker friends, little did we know that Collin was imagining his burgeoning brand on this very wall.  That day, he introduced his debut brand, Grape Culture, to ACME and shared his dedication to producing site-driven Napa Valley wines.  Grape Culture represents Collin's profoundly personal gamble to put everything on the line by moving his successful and established family winery (Nottingham Cellars) from Livermore to Napa Valley and shooting his shot.

Presenting the debut Grape Culture, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 2021, for $52!  100% Sauvignon Blanc of the Musque clone from Wolf Family Vineyard in St. Helena.  Collin pressed the hand-harvested fruit as whole clusters before racking the juice into stainless steel and concrete tank fermenters.  No malolactic fermentation occurred, and the wine moved to a mixture of concrete tank (65%), stainless steel (20%), and neutral French oak (15%) for 4-months of aging.

This Sauvignon Blanc is effusive and luxurious on the nose with the perfect interplay of high-toned citrus notes with mango, ripe pineapple, and jasmine.  Richly developed flavors of upside-down pineapple cake and lemon meringue pie round the palate without weighing it down.   A classic expression of Napa Valley white wine, Grape Culture's Sauvignon Blanc hits all the right places with bright acidity, attractive aromatics, and a lasting finish.