2023 Sentium Sauvignon Blanc Mendocino County

DEC96 This vintage delivers beautifully luscious fruit, marked by lemon-leat pithiness and notes of crushed Marcona almonds. There’s excellent tension and grip here, with the wine showing its hallmark medium-bodied richness and silky, satiny fruit character. Laced with vibrant acid tension, it finishes long with flinty minerality, a kiss of tarragon, and a lingering saline edge. Chiara Mondavi set out to find older, organically farmed vines cared for by family growers. Her search led her to Mendocino’s Redwood Valley, where vineyards planted between the 1940s and 1970s provided the perfect fit for her vision of crafting textured, ageworthy Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.

WSI94 JS94 A solid sauvignon blanc with Meyer lemons, light grapefruit, peach stones and just a touch of flint on the nose and palate. Creamy texture. So caressing. Very Loire-like in a Touraine sort of way. Made from old vines planted in the 1940s and 1960s. Nine months or less in concrete tanks, used large barrels and 80-gallon stainless steel drums. Made by the fourth generation of the Mondavi family. Drink or hold.

JD94 I loved the 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, a vibrant white offering ample Meyer lemon, honeyed flowers, and crushed stone-driven aromatics, as well as a crisp, clean sense of reduction. Medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, and elegant, it might be my favorite of the lineup. I love it today, yet it should have at least a decade of longevity, if not more.

Estate Notes: On the nose, the 2023 Sentium reveals enticing aromas of pear, honeysuckle, and savory lemon curd. A bright and energetic wine with flavors of lychee, wet river stone, and nectarine mingling with fresh zested Meyer lemon. An extended mouthwatering salinity on the finish harmonizes with a delicate and texturally lifted mouthfeel. A true testament to the care and devotion that went into its creation. 99% Sauvignon Blanc & 1% Semillon.