2008 Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc

Recently scored 93 points from the Wine Enthusiast:

93 Modus Operandi 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (Rutherford); $33.

A beautiful, complex and compelling wine that shows how well Napa can perform at Sauvignon Blanc, if it really wants to. It moves to the front ranks for its dryness, crispness and elegance, while delivering plenty of delicious flavor. Pineapples, lemons and limes flood the mouth, without the slightest grassy unripeness, and with a tantalizing hint of flowers and minerals. Totally elegant and sophisticated, a great white wine for the finest fare.
Editors’ Choice. —S.H.

Those of you who have had this Sauvignon Blanc and have tasted with me know that a lot of thought goes into making it. Its character is profound and distinct.... by design. Specific yeast strains are selected to work together in the fermentation... each carrying out specific reactions that are dependent upon each other for the desired end product. To add complexity, native yeast is allowed to ferment a few barrels for blending. The result is a wine that has the best qualities of both New Zealand and Napa Valley.

THE 2008 VINTAGE OF MODUS SAUV BLANC IS THE MOST IMPRESSIVE AND EXPRESSIVE WHITE WINE THAT I HAVE MADE TO DATE. It has a personality that is absolutely undeniable while at the same time being very clean and elegant.

With even basic Sauvignon Blanc becoming more and more difficult to come by in the Napa Valley, I am extremely delighted to be one of the few producers lucky enough to buy fruit from a vineyard that consistently shows how far above average it really is. 

Grown organically in Rutherford, California.