Pale gold color; honeydew melon, peach, guava, lemon-lime, grapefruit, pineapple, green apple on the nose and palate.
Dry; no tannins; fresh acidity. Light-medium body; smooth, silky mouthfeel with slight oiliness/lanolin—a feature in sauv blanc. Does not have the sharpness and bite of a New Zealand sauv blanc. Wine is 100% sauvignon blanc, all from Money Lane Vineyard. Whole-cluster pressed. Fermented and aged in stainless steel. No malolactic conversion. Judicious bâtonnage by pump. Some depth from the whole cluster pressing; touch of bitterness late in the finish. 12.9% ABV
Michael Stewart, a successful Texas businessman, founded Stewart Cellars in 2000. Stewart built a technology company, Texas Microsystems, that produced personal computers and servers for the telecommunications industry. After selling his company in 2002, he turned to full-time operations of his fledgling wine company with his wife, Anne.
What began as Michael’s post-retirement venture became a family enterprise when his son, James, joined the operation after a career in television and music. Michael’s daughter, Caroline Stewart Guthrie, next joined the enterprise after a career with Republic National Distributing—a major wine-beer-spirits wholesaler. She later worked in wine production for Paul Hobbs in Argentina and California. Today, Caroline is CEO of Stewart Cellars, leads the day-to-day operations and oversees the development of each wine. Caroline’s husband, Blair, is the winemaker at Stewart.
Stewart obtains grapes from their estate Montecillo Vineyard in the Moon Mountain AVA and the highly regarded Beckstoffer Vineyards, including Beckstoffer To Kalon. The grapes for this effort came from the Money Lane Vineyard, a plot surrounded by cabernet sauvignon vines. The website notes: “Stewart Cellars is a multi-generational, family-owned and operated winery that has been producing premium-quality wines since its inception in 2000. With a heavy focus on vineyard designate wines, we continue to produce high-quality wines while simultaneously driving industry change in sustainable farming and minimal intervention winemaking.”
Stewart Sauvignon Blanc, Oakville, Napa Valley 2023 showcases the softer, more elegant, easily approachable side of sauvignon blanc. Good, but not tongue cutting, acidity. Brightness, freshness, and fruit are the stars thanks to no oak, no malolactic conversion winemaking. Enjoyable sipped by itself rather than requiring food pairing to show its best. That said, it is almost impossible for sauv blanc not to be a good food wine. $36
Pairing—seafood; oysters, shell-on prawns, garlic butter prawns; light fish, grilled sea bass, barramundi, fried rock cod. Lighter meats, roast chicken with Meyer lemon, baked turkey; pork loin, pork chops with citrus, capers, garlic, olives; light veal dishes; green salads with goat cheese; dishes with green bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, leeks, asparagus. Spanish tapas; light pasta with tomatoes and pesto; lighter Asian fare with citrus and herb notes. Cheese—goat cheese is the classic pairing with saub blanc; chèvre; sheep’s milk cheeses; fresh, mild cheeses, mozzarella; gruyère, havarti, Monterey Jack, Swiss, Jarlsberg; ricotta salata, fontana; brie.
