2024 Glass Cat
In 2024 Napa Valley gave us the warmest June and the warmest July we had seen at the Panek Vineyard, and then, right when it mattered most, August turned cool. Only one August before it had been cooler. Two wet winters in a row had built a generous canopy, and that shade carried the fruit through the heat with its acidity intact. We picked on August 16, a day later than the 2022 and earlier than every other Glass Cat we have bottled.
The fruit arrived with the lowest sugar we have ever picked at Panek, but an ideal acid level. It also carried the most tartaric acid of any Glass Cat we have made and among the least malic. Tartaric is the acid that holds; malic is the one that softens with time. That balance is the spine of this wine.
The 2024 lands closest to the 2023, a vintage of clarity and finesse. Use the 2023 as your compass, then take one step toward the lean side: less alcohol, tighter pH, less malic to round the edges. If the 2022 is our generous vintage and the 2020 our viscous and bright one, the 2024 is the most linear Glass Cat we have released. If the 2021 is the powerful one, the 2024 is the taut one.
The 2024 Glass Cat is crisp and mouthwatering, with firm, stony acidity that gives the wine structure without feeling sharp or green. What strikes first is the clarity. Nothing veils the fruit, and each note arrives cleanly drawn and holds its shape all the way through the finish. Green apple and pear lead the palate, joined by bright citrus that remains integrated rather than dominating the wine. Stone fruit brings generosity to the middle, while a mineral core carries the focused, linear midpalate into a finish of honeysuckle and subtle vanilla.
In its youth, the 2024’s freshness and energy make it especially compelling at the table. It is a natural partner for goat cheese, a triple cream cheese, oysters, simply prepared seafood, branzino and pork. Serve it between 50 and 55 degrees, since much colder will close down the aromatics. Over the next year or two, we expect the wine to broaden and reveal additional layers of complexity. With its structure and vibrancy, the 2024 may prove to be our most enduring vintage yet.
2023 Glass Cat
94 Points, Decanter, Jonathan Cristaldi
“A very pretty expression of Sauvignon Blanc… bright, textured and weighty.”
This year, nature gave us something special. While much of the nation endured extreme heat, Napa Valley experienced a cooler, gentler season. Spring was mild and slow to start, with bud break returning to what we’d consider “normal timing.” Bloom stretched endlessly, and a cool snap in early May set a lighter crop. Summer remained one of the coolest in memory until late July, when the weather shifted toward a “normal” rhythm reminiscent of 2020 — balanced, temperate, and mercifully free of extremes. Winter’s abundant rains left behind a fertile, moist soil mass, allowing vine roots to stretch deeper and access nutrients well beyond the drip line. The result was fruit of exceptional quality: concentrated, balanced, and full of promise.
What does this mean in the glass? The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc is vibrant and lifted, with citrus blossom, lime zest, and green apple on the nose, layered with subtle hints of passionfruit and peach. The palate is crisp and energetic, defined by mouthwatering acidity and a precise mineral streak. Thanks to the lighter crop and deep soil nourishment, the wine also shows a silky mid-palate and elegant texture, carrying through to a long, harmonious finish. This is a vintage of clarity and finesse — fresh enough to enjoy now, yet structured to age gracefully.
2022 Glass Cat
93 Points, Decanter, Jonathan Cristaldi
“A firm spine of zippy acidity, complemented by chalky mineral notes.”
The process of creating this extraordinary vintage started well before bud break, early in April 2022, which was a factor in why this vintage was absolutely satisfying to watch.
The temperatures in 2022 only spiked over 90 degrees a few times during our growing season. From May through veraison, which began in mid-July, all the way through harvest, in late August, the weather was very enjoyable, and the growing season was optimal for white varietals. These lower temperatures produced much less fruit than an “average” year, but the quality was something of a happy tradeoff.
Tasting through our 2022 vintage, you will experience the finest expressions of what a fine Sauvignon Blanc wine should present; running the gambit of citrus, stone fruit, a hint of tropical fruit, as well as ever-present silkiness and a finish that is playful and lingers for days. The quintessential minerality that is presented by the Panek Vineyard hits just as the effervescent freshness delights your palate and then you journey through crisp green apple, golden nectar of ripe pear, citrus whisper of lemongrass, creamy white peach and honeysuckle. This wine pairs well with pork, fowl, all seafood, vegetarian dishes and my favorite, a truffled sheep’s milk cheese.
2021 Glass Cat
2021 offered Napa Valley a Winemaker’s Dream vintage. Early rains gave way to minimal precipitation after February, enabling our grapes to flower, bloom and set in near-perfect conditions. What followed was a luxuriously extended growing season, grapes hanging on the vines until they reached optimal ripeness and maturity. At harvest, our berries were small in size but intense in flavor, promising rich tasting notes and the exceptional potential for a wine worth aging.
Our 2021 Glass Cat Sauvignon Blanc is beautifully medium to full-bodied. Its characteristics are deep and sensual, with layered notes spanning wildflower, spice and lead pencil, silky tannins, and an aroma that evokes fine tobacco. It’s exceptionally pure, elegant and powerful on the palate, exhibiting hints of pineapple, white peach, citrus peel, lemongrass, honeysuckle and mineral notes. Its refreshing acidity will pair beautifully with fresh cheeses (like sheep and goat) as well as oysters, trout, cod, halibut and grilled white meats. Consider it essential at any holiday table.
2020 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.
2019 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.
2018 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.