2024 Ghostnote Wines, Graves Coast Blanc, Gist Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains.
I was excited to try this new Ghostnote release of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, which is quite pithy and structured, paying a ice tribute to the wine’s inspiration with a nice bright straw/gold hue in the glass and a complex medium weighted, lively palate of lemon/lime, white peach, quince, tart melon and zesty grapefruit, along with a touch of verbena, citrus oil, white flowers, river rock and a soft leesy note.The reference to Graves Blanc in the wine’s name tells you it is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, as they are the main white grapes in that area of Bordeaux, home to the famous Château Haut-Brion, who’s white is legendary, and this 2024 version is a blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc and 37% Semillon from the Gist Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Graves Coast Blanc 2024 was aged 17 months across a range of vessels, according to winemaker Brad Friedman, including stainless steel, 1,000L Slovenian oak botti, with mainly French oak cigar barrels, hogsheads, and standard barriques, with no lees stirring done to preserve fresh details. Friedman grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, where his dad, Larry, first introduced me to wine. Dad works in distribution as a sommelier and fine wine specialist, and his passion for the craft set a young Friedman on his path in the wine world. Since then, he says he’s been fortunate enough to work vintages across Napa, Sonoma, Australia, Portugal, Austria, New Zealand, and South Africa. Plus lucky to have held winemaking roles at Big Basin Vineyards and Ridge Monte Bello, where the lure of the Santa Cruz Mountains took hold, to name a few.
Ghostnote Wines was established by Brad Friedman, an assistant winemaker at Thomas Fogarty Winery, to be a creative outlet, but one rooted in the truest form of the craft. His wines he notes are naturally made, quietly serious, and cut through the outside noise (in life and the wine world), but above all, he wants wines that are simply delicious. Friedman makes it clear that his experiences at Fogarty helping craft Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Bordeaux varieties of the Santa Cruz Mountains has shaped his wines and given him an understanding of the region, which shows in this white Bordeaux style offering.As explained by Ghostnote owner and winemaker Brad Friedman a “ghost note” is a technical musical term, which is a note that can be physically written which has a rhythmic value but no clear pitch or accent. Essentially, he says, they’re written notes that are inaudible and these are the notes that help convey context, and add textural complexity and nuance to a piece of music, and he relates that to wine. They are the notes that allow the best wines and the best vineyards sites to transcribe these sentiments and the idea is that the best songs and the best grooves, hit the best ghost notes, and so do the best vineyards and the best wines. I grew to really like this Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blend as it opened up, it needs time to unwind and expand, and lose a touch of its natural funkiness, but it does really gain lots of poise and personality in the glass and it goes well with food. I think there’s some nice aging potential here as well, especially as Semillon, with its intense lemony oily quality enjoys extra aging. I look forward to trying more wines from this Ghostnote label in the future and recommend keeping an eye out for these exciting efforts.
($33 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive