I can’t tell you the impact here of 1% Falanghina, or even 4% Fiano. That’s all we brought because that’s all we grow; I’ll say they serve as seasoning in the circumstances. But in many vintages we’ve featured the meeting of Semillon and Sauvignon blanc, one or the other heavier, depending on the harvest. Blends succeed according to different sorts of logic, and with this particular pair of grapes the arrangement is closest to tug-of-war, a composition built on tension: the reassurance of Semillon’s earthbound, autumnal richness and the striving represented by Sauvignon’s soaring aromatics and skyward acidity. I believe this bottling does it as well as we ever have, with fullness and texture that brings to my mind a frosty fall meadow, a rendering of fruit that feels translucent and crunchy, and a poise on the tongue that works equally whether you’re eating lavishly or reading by a window.
Brian McCormick
