2018 PRESTON DRY CREEK SAUVIGNON BLANC

2018 PRESTON DRY CREEK SAUVIGNON BLANC, SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 100% Sauvignon Blanc. (Organic/Biodynamic)

"In 2019 we hand-harvested our two blocks of Sauvignon Blanc six times over the course of two weeks in August and September. Each pick day captures the fruit at a certain level of ripeness, which has helped us achieve great complexity in this wine. Shapeshifting aromatics range from just-ripe white peach, lemon oil, and move through to a subtle but delightfully green note, not so much grass but closer to the smell of a tomato plant. In the mouth a compelling tension emerges between the more austere herbal and mineral notes and the sun-driven melon and juicy citrus flavors from those later pick dates. Undeterred by such complexity, the wine remains smooth and focused; buoyed as always by the quenching acidity thats a hallmark of our Dry Creek Valley Estate." (Winery)

About: Preston Farm and Winery is a family-operated, organic property in Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Valley. Their 125 acres are nestled between a meandering salmon-spawning stream and a sleepy stretch of former wagon trail leading to town. Under 45 years of stewardship by the family, the land has evolved from an emphasis on wine alone to diversified crops including vineyards, vegetables, fruit and olive trees, grain, and pastured livestock.

Preston's farming ethos: "The methods employed at Preston are an amalgam of the teachings of UC Davis and practices followed historically by local farmers: academic vs tradition. An overarching dictate in both cases is to honor the specifics of the soils and local climate in the selection of grape varietals. Vine culture also is a dance between University dictates and neighbors’ habits. In general, we have come to appreciate the old ways because they are less intrusive to natural growing patterns and more compliant with Organic practices. Cover crops and compost replace chemical fertilizers, mechanical cultivation replaces herbicide weed control, respect for the health of the soils and greater tolerance for weeds sometimes replaces both. Old-timers here eschewed trellising because it conflicted with draft-horse cultivation; we do it both ways depending on the needs of the grapes. Environmental diversity and avoiding monoculture ensures the health of the farm, with natural pest control based on interplanting of different crops, mixed orchard and vine culture, establishment of extensive hedgerows, and protection of wild areas adjacent to vineyard blocks. Healthy farming is a community."