Ashes & Diamonds Napa Valley Blanc No.5 2019

One could never accuse Ashes & Diamonds of not aiming for the stars—this wine is a homage to the white wines of Domaine de Chevalier. It is an equal blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc from two sites in the southern Napa Valley. The Semillon component is sourced from the grape’s oldest site in California. Located in Yountville, Kendall Hoxsey’s Yount Mill Vineyard is home to 1962 vines that are head-trained, dry-grown and extremely low-yielding; Khaledi describes the fruit as “simply majestic”. To this, winemaker Steve Matthiasson blends mature-vine Sauvignon Blanc from the Ashes & Diamonds vineyard in Napa’s Oak Knoll district. Both vineyards benefit from the cool, foggy mornings and afternoon sea breezes rolling in from San Pablo Bay. These serve as a moderating influence and aid in preserving natural acidity and racy freshness.

In the cellar, the fruit naturally co-ferments in barrel. The wine spends 10 months on fine lees in French oak (31% new) without stirring before it goes to bottle. Unusually for a white, it is released after three years in bottle, during which time the pungency of Sauvignon Blanc takes a back seat to Semillon’s lemongrass and key lime pie characters. Number 5 indicates the wine’s fifth release. According to its crafter, it is “fully ripe and textured, yet bright, zesty and supremely ageworthy”. Time in bottle has served this wine well; it’s beautifully balanced, unfurling with complexity and culminating in a lengthy, elegant close.