Nose
Fresh lime, passionfruit & gooseberry greet the nose & follow through onto the palate.
Palate
A refreshing, citrusy acidity laced with minerality with a lip smacking grapefruit finish
Growing Conditions
We first planted Sauvignon Blanc in 2013 on the gentle slope at the foot of our estate vineyard. We placed 2,850 vines on 1.5 acres selecting Clone 1 (aromatic, balanced & hardy) & Clone 530 (expressive, juicy & early ripening). The soil is composed of clay & is very iron rich, deep & fertile. Rocky deposits throughout the vineyard range from small 2-6 inch sizes up to rocks a few feet wide!
In 2018, we took cuttings from our hertiage clones in Chadds Ford & sent them to be grafted & grow strong at the Hermann J. Wiemer nursery. When the vines were ready, we planted them at our Sandy Hill Vineyard in April 2021. In May of 2023 we planted 30 rows of Sauvignon Blanc there as well including Clone 1 (aromatic, balanced & hardy) & Clone 530 (expressive, juicy & early ripening).
In 2024, we took over managing a 3 acre parcel in West Chester known as Stag & Thistle Vineyard which includes 1.5 acres of Sauvignon Blanc that was planted on site in 2013. This windswept, south facing hill contains rich silty loam soil.
Vintage Report: We finished the 2024 season with cold winds & a drought that ran through the end of the winter in 2025. The spring was very wet especially during bloom which led to an overall crop loss of around 30%. From mid July into the fall we had just enough rain to achieve a perfect balance between sugar, acidity & flavor development. Although the yield was smaller than we typically experience, this ended up being a wonderful year for flavor concentration & all of the grapes were harvested in perfect condition. Overall, the growing season felt very similar to an Oregon vintage. We harvested our Chadds Ford grapes on August 30th, our Sandy Hill grapes on September 1st & the Stag & Thistle grapes on September 3rd.
Winemaking
100% Sauvignon Blanc (39% Stag & Thistle Vineyard, 37% Sandy Hill Vineyard, 24% Chadds Ford Estate Vineyard)
Each site's grapes were harvested & fermented separately. Our Chadds Ford grapes were destemmed, crushed, then left overnight at a temperature between 6-8C with constant CO2 mixing. The next morning the skins were then pressed & inoculated to start fermentation. The Stag & Thistle as well as the Sandy Hill grapes were each pressed & fermented separately. Once fermentation was complete, the wine stayed on the lees for 3 months with bi-weekly mixing. We conducted tasting trials & the final blend was crafted & bottled.
Food Pairing
Chevre or gruyere, raw oysters, grilled shrimp or chicken, elote
