Stagiaire, "Sufficiently Whelming" 2021

From Brent Mayeaux of Stagiaire  -- minuscule production, excellent wines

Redwood Valley, California. Chard and Sauv Blanc, 40 year old vines. 

Brent on this cuvée:

"Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay from vines planted in the 40s at Lolonis in Redwood Valley. Organic and dry farmed. In a year with lots of issues due to drought, this fruit benefitted a ton from it. I had never seen such flavorful and developed skins at a low sugar level before, and the fermentation was very smooth. The Sav Blanc usually gets some botrytis here, but there wasnt any for this dry season. 

Its life started in stainless and then it aged in used barrels for 9 months. The wine opens tight and flinty but relaxes into opulent citrus and tropical fruit. Think of a Capri Sun commercial where everyone is like liquid cool and doing sports and stuff. unwinding a bit more and more each time I try it and I think will reward some patience if you have the opportunity to stash some bottles away for a few years."