2023 Lieu Dit Winery, Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley.
The 2023 Lieu Dit Sauvignon Blanc is one of the best vintages I’ve tasted to date here, grabbing the best of this cool year and long hang time to make a vivid and complex version of this grape with zesty lemon/lime, bitter melon, peach and tangy quince fruits, along with delicate white flowers, wet stone, lemon grass, subtle jalapeño, shaved grapefruit and tomato leaf on the medium bodied palate. This pale gold and straw hued Sauvignon Blanc is bright and crisply dry example of California SB and is a cool and refreshing Summer sipper to drink over the next few years. The Lieu Dit Sauvignon Blanc is crafted from three vineyards in the far eastern reaches of Santa Ynez Valley, which has warmer days and cool nights that help ripen the grapes. Here, the winery says soils share the tectonic history of the nearby mountains and add to the distinctive terroir influence imparted the wines from this part of the Santa Barbara wine country. Lieu Dit uses all sustainable grapes and the wines are clearly French and old world influenced in style, but proudly Californian in nature.
The Lieu Dit 100% Sauvignon Blanc comes from vines in the Happy Canyon and Santa Ynez Valley area of the Santa Barbara County wine region and in particular the McGinley Vineyard, China Blue Vineyard and Santa Ynez Vineyard set on sandy loam, river cobbles and Serpentine soils. To make this wine, the winery says that they gently press the grapes before fermenting the juice in both stainless steel tanks and in old oak barrels. Rather than making the wine in just one vessel, or by diversifying their fermentation techniques highlights the layers of nuance that the different vineyards provide them and adds a bit of depth in my own opinion. After fermentation, the wine is then aged in the stainless steel tanks and the old neutral French oak barrels for about six months, with just the right amount of lees contact and to capture the vintage’s energy. These critically acclaimed Lieu Dit wines, made by famed local son and noted wiinemaker Justin Willet, of Tyler Winery, include Loire inspired Cabernet Franc, Rosé of Cab Franc, Chenin Blanc, definitely worth searching out, and this Sauvignon Blanc, plus the single vineyard offerings are a big step up here and I highly recommend the full range of offerings.
($25 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive