Ojai McGinley Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2018
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Ojai McGinley Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is consistent with its notes of pithy citrus and a strikingly stony minerality. Aromas are arresting and super delineated, gravelly core, smoky lees, and clean airy notes of citrus blossoms, green melon and savory marjoram. Much of that is echoed on the palate, where it mingles with fleeting tropical notes.
This Sauvignon Blanc is in your face but incredibly food friendly, flattering the saltiness of fresh oysters or urchin, the tartness of goat cheese or labneh, and the direct earthiness of any fresh salad or humbly prepared vegetables, or even a nice cheese board.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the two Sauvignon Blanc releases, the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc McGinley is a larger production release (574 cases) and offers beautiful floral, citrus, and grapefruit notes as well as a medium-bodied, fresh, yet nicely textured and concentrated style on the palate. It's a terrific Sauvignon to enjoy over the coming 2-3 years, although I suspect it will keep even longer.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc McGinley has restrained scents of poached pears and white blossoms with touches of green herbs and crushed stone. The palate is light to medium-bodied, blossoming out to perfumed fruits in the mouth with bright freshness and a long finish. A lovely, understated style.
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2022-
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Enthusiast -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wilfred
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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Jeb
Dunnuck
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Wilfred
Wong
Adam had planted a vineyard in Ojai to Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc and had begun producing wine from that fruit in 1983. When the collaboration with Clendenen ended he concentrated all his attention on The Ojai Vineyard to further explore the infinite details of his craft.
Looking back over the last 25 years, one can see the development of The Ojai Vineyard came in three distinct phases. In the beginning it was lots of fun discovering the budding Santa Barbara County, experimenting with new plantings, new areas, and a wide selection of varietals; Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and other Rhone varietals. Back in 1983 the vines were grown without much care in what was called a California sprawl. It took years to get growers to move towards progressive practices like drip irrigation and vertical trellising to improved wine grape quality.
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.
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.