2009 Rancho de Oro Puro
Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Blend

Our 2009 is a perfect blend of nectarine aromas, vanilla notes and a balanced finish. We hand-picked the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes at 41 degrees Brix at Thanksgiving when the grapes were fairly dried out and covered with botrytis. We pressed what juice was left in the grapes and fermented it in French oak barrels (50% new) using native yeasts. After 20 months in the barrels, we ended up with wine that has 25% residual sugar and 11% alcohol. The result? A classic late harvest wine albeit with Oro Puro flair, loaded with tropical fruit flavors, lychee, crème brulee, spicy botrytis (the noble rot) and good acidity.

over Napa, 2008 was what we cal in the industry, a "short crop." The quality is spot-on, we're just tight on volume. We hand-picked the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes at 34 degrees brix in late November when the grapes were fairly dried out and covered with botrytis. The concentration of flavors left us speechless. We pressed what juice was left in the grapes, then fermented the juice in 50% new French oak barrels using native yeasts. After 20 months in the barrels, we ended up with a wine that has 15% residual sugar and 13.7% alcohol. The result? A classic late harvest wine albeit with Oro Puro flair, loaded with tropical fruit flavors, lychee, creme brulee, spicy botrytis (the noble rot) and good acidity.