Honig Rutherford Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2014
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Wilfred
Wong -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Blend: 88% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Semillon, 2% Muscat
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
I have been following the Honig story for more than two decades, starting with their first vintage in 1989 and I saw this family as one the upcoming movers in the Napa Valley. In 1964, Louis Honig purchased a 68-acre ranch in Rutherford, in the heart of the Napa Valley. Louis passed away before he could realize his dream. In 1981 the family dedicated a few hundred cases of Sauvignon Blanc in his honor; the wine became a hit. At age 22, grandson Michael Honig took the reins in 1984. Today, with family members Regina Weinstein, Steven Honig and Stephanie Honig, the brand continues to grow its legacy. The 2014 Honig Vineyard & Winery Reserve Sauvignon Blanc stands out as one of California's top efforts. Complex notes of dried leaves, ripe melon and citrus are the highlights of this wine. This wine showed very well in the blind tasting for the media at "A Day in the Dust 2016." Drinks well now. (Tasted: July 13, 2016, Rutherford, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Reserve Rutherford has more Muscat in it than the basic bottling as well as 10% Semillon compared to 3.9% in the regular cuvée. This is a beauty with honeysuckle, a touch of tropical fruit, broad, savory flavors and a dry, zesty finish. It should be drunk over the next 1-3 years.
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The Honig Family purchased their 68-acre vineyard in Rutherford in 1964, and sold the grapes they grew to neighboring wineries. In 1980, the family tried their hand at producing their own Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, to great acclaim. Michael Honig took over management of the winery in 1984, at the age of 22. In 1987, the Honigs made their first Cabernet Sauvignon. Under Michael, Honig's direction, the winery has grown from a small "garage winery" to a 25 person operation. Using solar power and sustainable farming methods, winemaker, Kristin Belair focuses on two varietals: Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This focus allows her to produce handcrafted wines that are a true expression of the vineyard.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
The Rutherford sub-region of Napa Valley centers on the town of Rutherford and covers some of Napa Valley’s finest vineyard real estate, spanning from the Mayacamas in the west, to the Vaca Mountains on the other side of the valley.
Inside of the Rutherford AVA, bordering the Mayacamas, is a stretch of uplands called the Rutherford Bench. (These bench lands technically run the length of Oakville as well). Mountain runoff creates deep, well-drained, alluvial soils on the bench, giving vine roots plenty of reason to permeate deep into the ground. The result is wine with great structure and complexity.
Rutherford Cabernet Sauvingons and Bordeaux Blends garner substantial attention for their enticing fragrances of dusty earth and dried herbs, broad and juicy mid-palates and lush and fine-grained tannins. The sub-appellation claims some of the valley’s most prized vineyards today, namely Caymus, Rubicon and Beckstoffer Georges III.
It is also home to Napa’s most influential and historic personalities. Thomas Rutherford, responsible for the appellation's name, made serious investments here in grape growing and wine production between the years of 1850 to 1880. Gustave Niebaum purchased a large swath of land and completed his winery in 1887, calling it “Inglenook.” Today this remains the oldest bonded winery in California. Georges Latour founded Beaulieu Vineyard in 1900, making it the oldest continuous winery in the state. Latour also hired the famous enologist, André Tchelistcheff, a man credited for single-handedly defining the modern Napa winemaking style.