My inside look at the close knit family winegrowers. Tasting notes with Diana Snowden are below, more info, pics etc. at the link. Great people.
2011 Sunninghill Sauvignon Blanc: Full medium golden color, this wine never fails to impress me for it’s delicate, yet medium bodied nature. It’s vinified in stainless steel and the freshness and vibrancy of the fruit shines through. On the nose there’s ample aromas of white stone fruits, pineapple and minerals. These flavors carry through on the palate and are joined by crisp, wonderful acidity. There’s a certain viscosity to the mouthfeel that is wonderful. As I questioned Diana, this comes from the natural yeast during fermentation and not any buttery oak infused manipulation. 88 points and a great value at about $20.
2010 Merlot: This is 100% Merlot sourced from the Brother’s vineyard. Due to the replanting of the vineyard, the Snowdens were left with a surplus of blending grapes - if they wanted to continue labeling their Ranch and Reserve wines as “Cabernet”. The result was this wine. It’s a deep purple in the glass with violet reflections. The terroir shines through here with lots of crushed black berry, mocha, spice and warm dirt on the nose and palate. The balance and intensity are there on the palate and the wine has plenty of acidity to keep things lively. No green streaks to dislike here, just a long dusty, mocha finish. Lovely. 91 points, about $30.
2010 Cabernet “The Ranch”: Much of the fruit from this wine is sourced from the Lost Vineyard. The Ranch consists of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The addition of the Merlot makes the wine approachable sooner than the Reserve and adds some fleshiness to the wine. Dark purple in the glass clear to the rim. The nose is classic. Cedar, black plums, spices and earth. Slightly reserved but fairly complex. On the palate the wine marries what I have always loved about Snowden wines: Napa ripeness meets old world terroir. As Diana says, you can’t take the sun out of Napa. There’s plenty of black fruit, cedar, dusty spice and licorice flavors that are melded together and balanced beautifully. Medium weight tannins are smooth and suggest good mid-term cellaring, but this is great now and elegant right through the finish. 92 points, about $34.
2010 Reserve Cabernet: While Merlot softens The Ranch Cabernet, the Reserve is blended with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The result is noticeably different. This is darker than the Ranch, more brooding as it’s purple shade trends toward black. Aromas of black fruits, road dust, mineral, and cedar are discernible. On the palate the wine is masculine, with wonderful structure to the rich black fruits that are joined with roasted coffee, licorice, and tobacco notes. Lots of ripe, dusty, powdery tannins linger on the finish. This will cellar well for decades. 94 points, about $65.
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