2023 Charles Krug Sauvignon Blanc Napa

Fruit for our Sauvignon Blanc, principally sourced from our historic St. Helena estate, was hand-picked in the cool of night to ensure it reached the winery in pristine condition. The freshly picked grapes were cold-soaked on the skins for 6-8 hours before going to press, a process that enhances the fruit’s natural aromatics. The wine was cold fermented slowly in stainless steel tanks to further its wonderfully aromatic bouquet and delicate flavor profile. This light-to-medium bodied wine displays vibrant aromas of white floral/lemon blossom, lemon verbena, honeydew melon, pink grapefruit, passionfruit, pink guava, lime skin and lemongrass. On the palate it is sweet and crisp, with flavors of pink grapefruit, guava, lemon blossom, bartlett pear, and lemon grass.

After several droughty winters, the Napa Valley enjoyed higher than usual rainfall during the winter of 2022 to 2023, replenishing the deep soil moisture. Spring was cool and as a result, the vine and grape development was delayed by about two weeks throughout the season. The summer was warm and steady, with no extremes. A combination of cool nights, warm days, and plenty of water in the soil allowed a long, slow ripening period, and later harvesting. This long and gentle ripening resulted in beautiful aromatics and good acids in the whites.