Mario Bazan Cellars
2011 Mario Bazán Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc
California: Napa Valley
Mission Briefing
All that is Golden
Today’s 2011 Mario Bazán Cellars Sauvignon Blanc is a delightful follow-on to their previous vintage SB. Once again the wine exhibits plenty of character, but with a much more soft and luxurious feel, this time around. In fact, this is one of the most tender Sauvignon Blancs we have tasted. And, for all its softness, this wine does not lose its crisp and refreshing edge.
Pair this wonderful, budget-friendly wine with hard cheeses, seafood, pasta Alfredo or with your upcoming Holiday meals. This refreshing white wine will please all of your party guests, so be sure to have plenty on hand.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Lovely straw yellow, with perfectly even color, from edge to heart. After swirling, tall, skinny, viscous legs fall slowly down the glass. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Fresh lemon, lemon zest and soft lime. Freshly dried hay, subtle white spice, pineapple and zesty sweetwood follow as the wine warms. |
| Taste: | Bright and very flavorful, with loads of creamy lemon curd, white peach, pineapple and yellow grapefruit. Lemongrass, tart young pear, pluot and sweetwood follow. |
| Finish: | Super long, with plenty of long-sustaining fruit that slowly yields from sweet to tart. After a few long moments, the wine spreads a white mineral dryness across the whole palate. |
| Pairing: |
What the Winery Says
The 2011 Mario Bazán Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc is an explosion of lemongrass, grapefruit, flinty, and mineral aromas, followed by apple blossom, fig, and pear notes. A juicy entry with taste of nectarine, and lime, is supported by a vibrant acidity with a touch of creamy texture. It has a long finish of mineral, grapefruit, and honeysuckle flavors.
About the Winery
The roots of Mario Bazán Cellars go back to 1973 when Mario immigrated to the Napa Valley from his native Oaxaca, Mexico. When Mario arrived in the Napa Valley, he was immediately charmed by its beauty and energized by the vigorous wine growing atmosphere he observed. He continued to hone his skills over the next four decades. Today, Mario has his own estate vineyard and highly regarded vineyard management company farming several hundred acres throughout Napa and Sonoma Valleys.
Mario envisioned going beyond the vineyard to share in the experience of producing exceptional wines. The high standards Mario sets are reflected in the production of each wine in the portfolio. This winemaking venture is a natural progression in bringing Mario’s life’s work from the ground to the table.
Winemaker David DeSante
David DeSante joined the team in April 2013 as the Consulting Enologist, bringing with him almost twenty years of winemaking and viticultural experience. Growing up in Erie, Pennsylvania, David decided at the age of ten he wanted to be a winemaker. Much later, after he and his wife Katharine relocated to California, David entered UC Davis and in 1996 earned an MS in Food Science and Technology with an emphasis in Enology and Viticulture.
After graduation David went to work at Robert Mondavi Winery in their viticulture research department and then on to West Australia for additional experience. He then returned to Napa Valley to hone his winemaking skills at S. Anderson with both their very successful sparkling wine program as well as the critically acclaimed Richard Chambers Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon project. David’s winemaking philosophy led him to also consult for other wineries both in winemaking and viticulture.
David is the perfect fit for Mario Bazán Cellars because of his passion for winemaking that is only matched by his commitment to viticulture and the vineyard. His multi-faceted skills combined with Mario’s expertise in the vineyard create a strong union to bring the finest wines to the table.
Vineyard Notes
Every stage of the vineyard’s development is important to Mario, from its preparation for planting to the careful management of the vines and continued health of the soil in preparation for a successful harvest. Each vineyard farmed by Mario is different but more importantly many blocks within a vineyard are also different. Mario skillfully employs a whole host of clones, rootstocks, canopy systems, pruning protocols, irrigation regimens and many other components of vineyard management tailored to each individual block engendering the expression of the vineyard’s true personality.
Located on Monticello Rd (Hwy121), and nestled into the Atlas peak foothills, the vineyard sits at approximately 80 feet above sea level on 1.25 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon vines. The climate in this part of the valley is moderate, with warm days and cool evenings, which allows for that much sought-after slow ripening of the berries. In addition, the shallow soil base in the vineyard provokes a gentle stressing of the vines, which results in smaller grapes with better concentration of color and flavor, both very desirable factors for the growing of premium wine grapes.
Sustainable Farming Practices
The family vineyard is designed and farmed with great care for soil and plant health. In conjunction with local conservation efforts, sustainable compost and cover crop is applied in the vineyard, complemented by a beneficial insect hedgerow to the delight of local honeybees. Vineyard prunings are also mulched and returned to the soil. With their boys Antonio and Alexander and their loyal dog running alongside the roosters throughout the vineyard, the heart of Mario Bazán Cellars’ wines is truly a family treasure.