Cosentino Winery

It’s difficult keeping up with all the brands and wines this producer turns out, what with vineyard holdings in Yountville and Pope Valley in the Napa Valley, and still more in Lodi. And believe me I’ve tasted a lot of wines from Mitch Cosentino over the years. In the past I’ve admired his Gewürztraminer, and now I like what he’s doing with this Meritage white blend.

The wine is comprised mostly of Sauvignon Blanc (63 percent) and Semillon (37 percent). It’s the classic Bordeaux-like assemblage, but it’s decidedly Californian in taste. There’s nice minerality and herbal notes in the nose with some Crenshaw melon undertones. On the palate, the wine is displaying a smooth, viscous texture with wonderful fresh fruit and balance that includes excellent acidity. To its credit, the wine saw no malolactic fermentation. Simply put, it’s delicious and was the perfect foil with hors d’oeurves such as duck paté and a wedge of triple crème St. André cheese.

The fruit came from the winery’s estate in Pope Valley (27%), the Luvisi Vineyard in Calistoga (13%), Oakville (15%), St. Helena (7%), the Dancing Crow Vineyard in Lake County (24%), and from the Mohr-Fry Vineyard (14%) in Lodi.

It was also partially (5%) barrel fermented and aged (70%) in Bordelais white barrels (30% of which were new). The listed alcohol is 14.5 percent and there was a little more than 2,500 cases produced.

Reviewed September 8, 2006 by Alan Goldfarb.