In the story Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum, a magician, in an effort to demonstrate his power, brought a glass figurine of a cat to life with the hope that it would chase mice for the magician’s wife. The Glass Cat was transparent except for its ruby heart, pink brain and emerald green eyes. Much like our Sauvignon Blanc, the Glass Cat turned out to be cool, reserved and extremely vain. While not very good at catching mice, the Glass Cat incessantly roamed its world acquiring intimate knowledge of the terrain for future story characters. Similarly, we have a magician (our winemaker) who has turned our Glass Cat into a cool, reserved and extremely vain offering with the hope that new characters will enjoy the beauty and experience of the Glass Cat.
2018 The Glass Cat
The elegant and smooth 100% Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc Glass Cat is the wine that started this exciting venture. It is easy to drink and produces fond memories which serve as a welcome break for your palate where you can look forward to perhaps a fantastic meal or maybe just a relaxed moment to reflect on your day.
Tasting notes: This wine exudes all the best qualities of the Sauvignon Blanc grape including an amazing acid profile with mineral, flint and honey. Citrus notes are abundant while allowing apple and pear profiles to show through with just a hint of tropical fruit. The finish is stunning and it remains on your palate seemingly forever. The purity of fruit and graphite allow the 2018 to be sexy, zippy and playful. This wine pairs well with pork, fowl, all seafood, vegetarian dishes and my favorite, a truffled sheep’s milk cheese.
The 2018 Glass Cat is offered at $400/3-pack (Limited Availability)
2019 The Glass Cat
2019 had copious rainfall which provided plenty of moisture in the soil for a wonderful growing season. The growing season was near perfect with only a short heat spike in mid-August. The seasonally consistent morning fog allowed for a longer hang time while the warmer afternoons offered time for the fruit to mature without being extreme. Joe picked the grapes the first week of September.
Tasting notes: Our 2019 Glass Cat Sauvignon Blanc has a layered aroma and texture. It is silky and sexy on the palate and complete with a long drawn-out finish which makes you want to come back for more. The longer veraison gives you mouthwatering acidity and a weighty feel with lifted fruit: think Meyer lemon and Asian pear with an interesting mix of fresh stone fruit and even a little guava that is both vibrant and fresh. The Glass Cat is aged in new and neutral French oak for nine months and in bottle for six months. We feel this vintage has an interesting complexity and we cannot wait to share it with you.
The 2019 Glass Cat is offered at $375/3-pack
2020 The Glass Cat
As a result of the dry and temperate winter, bud-break began early. Spring brought mild, optimum temperatures while the summer was warm (like 2017) with hot, dry spells. The growing season was considered ideal. We had moderate to light yields in 2020 which allowed the vines to focus on every cluster that was pollinated. Harvest was a few weeks early and the result is a finely balanced wine. The acid profile is ideal, showing complex layers with a beautiful, energetic palate of exceptional concentration and minerality. The wine is bright, crisp, and juicy while revealing citrus, green apple, honeysuckle and stone fruit. The 2020 Glass Cat Sauvignon Blanc pairs well with pork, fowl, all seafood, vegetarian dishes and cheese.
The 2020 Glass Cat is offered at $375/3-pack