Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018
While the benchmark estates certainly delivered the goods in 2018, readers should look at the wines from Aperture Cellars, Arista, Blue Farm, Boars’ View, Capture, Cattleya, Chev, CIRQ, Croix, Devil Proof, Ferren, Jeff Cohn, Lasseter Family, Limerick Lane, Lynmar, Mauritson, Ram’s Gate, Shared Notes, Sojourn Cellars, and Wayfarer, just to name a few of the exciting producers in this report.
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2018 Les leçons des maîtres – 95 points
First, the 2018 Les Leçons Des Maîtres checks in as a blend of 76% Sauvignon and 24% Semillon that spent 8 months on lees in new French oak barrels. It’s absorbed every ounce of oak and offers a Haut Brion Blanc-like bouquet of white grapefruit, tart pineapple, mint, white flowers, and salty minerality. Medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, and racy on the palate, with bright acidity, it’s a Sauvignon Blanc meant for the cellar. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and it will evolve for two decades or more.
2018 Les pierres qui décident – 93 points
The 2018 Les Pierres Qui Décident checks in as 100% Sauvignon. It’s a slightly riper white yet still plays in the steely, racy style that’s the hallmark of these wines. Tart pineapple, white flowers, sappy green herbs, crushed rocks, and crushed citrus dominate the nose, and it’s medium-bodied, with a layered texture, bright acidity, and a great finish. It too needs bottle age, yet it’s slightly more approachable than the Les Leçons Des Maîtres release.