2015 Lasseter Family Wines “Voila” Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma Valley.
The 2015 Lasseter Voila is a rich and vinous white Bordeaux style blend coming mainly from old vines in Sonoma and has loads of concentration with layers of lemon curd, peach and pineapple along with vanilla bean, quinces and leesy brioche adding a hint of wet stone and honeysuckle in a full bodied luxurious wine that flamboyantly caresses the palate. This is a rather lush wine that will surely get your attention and certainly make an impact on the sense, it will need soft cheeses and or a meal to get the best out of it, the creamy brie style will really bring out the best here or go with decedent crab cakes. Lasseter, known mostly for estate grown Rhone style wines with vines near Glen Ellen is also doing some interesting Bordeaux influenced wines with some Moon Mountain grapes being added to the lineup. I was impressed by the lineup at Lasseter the last time I ran through the wines and this one, which might get lost amongst the reds, was maybe my favorite and it gets better and better as it opens in the glass and its golden color shines intensely, it really is an appealing effort.
With the ancient vine Semillon, which makes up 50% of this tasty wine, coming off the famed Monte Rosso Vineyard, that was planted in the late 1800s on the higher hillsides that face west, that allows a cooling effect and this volcanic red soiled site allows for deep flavor development and ripeness. The combination of 30% regular Sauvignon Blanc as well as the aromatic 20% Musque Clone adds a zesty, tanginess and juicy lemon/lime quality here, that fruit comes from the Sonoma Valley floor. This Voila is modeled loosely on Haut-Brion Blanc, in Graves/Pessac Leognan region and like Haut-Brion Blanc it has an opulent flavors, mouth feel and loads of creamy texture. The wine was aged in both new French oak and cement egg giving it its lavish profile and presence. In California this style wine is a rarity, and Lasseter has done a very convincing job on this one and it compares well with some elite offerings like Peter Michael, Luc Morlet Family and Shared Notes by Jeff Pisoni and his wife Bibiana González Rave Pisoni. Lasseter has proven to be a serious winery, not just a vanity project by John Lasseter the founder of Pixar, and you should not over look their stuff, it gets better and better each year.
($42 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive