Autumn may be giving way to winter, but that doesn’t mean it has to be all red wine, all the time. Versatile Sauvignon Blanc is produced with plenty of diversity, including subtle oak or lees aging, which can create richer, rounder styles. The panoply of styles makes the wines an excellent, flexible accompaniment to winter salads, roast chicken or seafood stews. This week’s Tasting Highlights is mainly centered on Northern California offerings, with a range of styles and price points to choose from.
At the top of the list is the brightly aromatic Sauvignon Blanc from Inglenook. Though the winery is perhaps better known for Cabernet, the lower portion of its Rutherford estate, with sandy-clay loam soils, is well-suited to Sauvignon Blanc. The wine aged for eight months sur lie in a mix of new and used French oak and stainless steel, and nearly a quarter of the wine is Sémillon, lending a beeswax note to the finish.
Also featured is the fresh and aromatic Dry Creek Fumé Blanc Sonoma County 2024 and the distinctive Pahlmeyer Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley Jayson 2024. Read on to get all eight reviews of these charming Golden State Sauvignon Blancs!
Tasting Highlights’ wine reviews are fresh out of the tasting room, offering a sneak peek of our editors’ most recent ratings—including scores and full tasting notes—to WineSpectator.com members.
Member-Only Content
Premium Subscription
Join today and get immediate access to this article, and to our entire database of more than
450,000
wine ratings. It only takes moments—but it will help you drink better all year long.
Start Free 30-day Trial
Already a member?
Sign In
Try Winespectator.com Free for 30 Days!
Full access to our database of more than 425,000 wine ratings
Early access to reviews on our editors’ favorite just-rated wines
Wine and food pairing tool,
chefs’ pairing recommendations
Best value wines and winery intel
Subscribe today
Dining and Cooking