Read Holland Upton Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Mendocino 2023

As with many of us, Ashley’s foray into wine was somewhat unexpected. An avid equestrian, she was busy taking her science prerequisites at Oklahoma State University with dreams of becoming a veterinarian when she realized she had time in her hectic schedule of courses for an elective. She enrolled in a course called “International Beverage Education” and fell head over heels in love with wine. Upon graduation, she packed her bags and moved to California to pursue a career in sales and hospitality. It wasn’t long after starting at MacMurray that Ashley's scientific curiosity re-emerged, and she began eagerly quizzing every winemaker willing to talk with her. Ashley decided, one final time, to change gears and delve into winemaking. Her first harvest was at Two Rivers in the Marlborough region of New Zealand- or, as she puts it, the University of Sauvignon Blanc. She spent four harvests honing her skills and learning how to make world-class Sauvignon Blanc and credits this chapter of her life as the backbone of her winemaking philosophy. 

If you’ve ever thought Sauvignon Blanc is a boring varietal, let Ashley help you fall in love with this classic grape. “The nature of Sauvignon Blanc is sensitive to picking times. There is no plus a day minus a day. The picking window is short, and the flavors in the vineyard translate directly into the winery, should you call it right. Sauvignon Blanc taught me everything. It is the teacher, they say when the student is ready the teacher appears. And so it was Sauvignon Blanc. My inspiration for this wine lies in Sancerre first, layered with some of the more pure iterations of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.” – Ashley.

The fruit from the Upton Vineyard in Mendocino was planted in 1969 on St. George rootstock. The vines are dry-farmed and very low-producing, which results in few but high-quality clusters. Fermentation occurred in stainless, neutral oak, and concrete with a healthy amount of lees stirring to add a rich mouthfeel. On the nose, the wine explodes with white flowers, golden kiwi, preserved lemon, and black currant. The palate is rich and textured with flavors of pink grapefruit pith, passionfruit, lime, and white peach. This wine is truly delightful!