KATHY’S CORNER

For those of you foodies who love the serious expression of your French, white Bordeaux wine, you will be pleasantly surprised by this “sister” wine from the Santa Ynez Valley. Made to be “palate-driven”, this wine offers a striking companion to a full-flavored meal and is distinguished by richness, complexity and satisfaction. This wine celebrates texture in wine and tones the racy, extreme expression of Sauvignon Blanc. Hunnysuckle is aged in the most elegant, tight-grain French oak that, over time, is manifested as a mouth-filling delight. Open your palate to a most satisfying experience! Cheers!

printable notes

THE VINEYARDS & THE VINTAGE

• Harvested August 19-24, 2004

• Vintage report: A relatively early vintage start with glorious weather and even ripening until the Labor Day heat spike. Fortunately this fruit was harvested about 2 weeks prior to the 100 degree temperatures on Sept 5-6. Bud break happened about the 2nd week of March, bloom in early May and verasion in mid-July.

• A blend of 70% Vogelzang and 30% Westerly Vineyards, both located in Happy Canyon at the most eastern boundary of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA.

• Both Vineyards are custom-farmed for Fiddlehead to achieve the excellence in the Vineyard required for the purity of this wine.

• Fermented with a mix of F10 and VL3 yeasts. Selected from new Damy barrels specifically expressing balance, elegance and intensity that benefits for added bottle age.

• 100 cases bottled on June 25, 2005 and released a minimum of 4 years later.

THE WINE

Wonderful things are predictable. Maya’s comments from 2004 live on!

What they say in Sideways:

Miles: Nice. Very nice.

Maya: Twelve months in oak. French Oak.

Miles: On a Sauvignon Blanc?

Maya: I know. I love that.

What they say at Fiddlehead:

Kathy: a lively bouquet of fig, pear, dried sage and Meyer lemons

John: mineral and fennel which persists on the palate…