Carica Wines Sauvignon Blanc 2005

This wine came to me with no advance warning and no documentation, and I tasted it blind with other north coast Sauvignon Blancs. It showed well and I did some digging. Based on the background of this particularly bottling, the label and the vineyard are both worth watching. Kick Ranch is former cattle grazing land in Rincon Valley on the northern flank of Spring Mountain (on the Sonoma County side). Rumor is that some big-name winemakers are sourcing future vineyard-designated wines from Kick Ranch, which was planted in 2000. For now, owners Dick Keenan and Kathy McNamara and partner/winemaker read more...Charlie Dollbaum are making wine under their own Carica label while selling to such well-reputed blenders as Ferrari-Carano and Rosenblum Cellars. This is a very good all-around Sauvignon Blanc with what wine educators used to call “true varietal character.” In this case that means crisp apple and cat pee aromas, a fruity apple-and-honey entry that is nevertheless well balanced with crisp acidity, and a refreshing finish. A small portion of the wine was deftly barrel-fermented and then blended into the rest of the juice. I’ve seen the wine on offer at $17, which is certainly fair at a time when ordinary Sauvignon Blanc is going for $20. There should be a Carica Syrah coming soon, and then the rumored vineyard-designates sometime later. Watch this space.    (hide)

This wine came to me with no advance warning and no documentation, and I tasted it blind with other north coast Sauvignon Blancs. It showed well and I did some digging. Based on the background of this particularly bottling, the label and the vineyard are both worth watching. Kick Ranch is former cattle grazing land in Rincon Valley on the northern flank of Spring Mountain (on the Sonoma County side). Rumor is that some big-name winemakers are sourcing future vineyard-designated wines from Kick Ranch, which was planted in 2000. For now, owners Dick Keenan and Kathy McNamara and partner/winemaker read more...Charlie Dollbaum are making wine under their own Carica label while selling to such well-reputed blenders as Ferrari-Carano and Rosenblum Cellars. This is a very good all-around Sauvignon Blanc with what wine educators used to call “true varietal character.” In this case that means crisp apple and cat pee aromas, a fruity apple-and-honey entry that is nevertheless well balanced with crisp acidity, and a refreshing finish. A small portion of the wine was deftly barrel-fermented and then blended into the rest of the juice. I’ve seen the wine on offer at $17, which is certainly fair at a time when ordinary Sauvignon Blanc is going for $20. There should be a Carica Syrah coming soon, and then the rumored vineyard-designates sometime later. Watch this space.    (hide)

October 2008