Lot 893 2020 Napa Valley Semillon
Semillon from the heart of Napa Valley. Longtime fans know that we reserve our black label designation for our very best finds, and today’s release Lot 893 2020 Calistoga Semillon is one of those wines that impressed us so much, we immediately knew it was destined to become our first-ever white wine in our Black Label series.
Semillon is typically associated with the Left Bank of Bordeaux, where it is painstakingly crafted into a dry white wine as coveted as its most prestigious reds. However, Semillon also thrives fantastically in Napa Valley’s Calistoga AVA with its Mediterranean climate, diurnal temperature swings, and well-drained volcanic soils allowing the grapes to retain their natural acidity and aroma while achieving optimal ripeness and depth. This very may well be our most elegant white release to date, and at less than half of what it costs under the source winery’s label, it’s a screaming deal.
Lot 893 leaps from the glass with lifted aromatics of citrus blossoms, white peach, and apricot preserve. On the palate, that aromatic quality carries through beautifully, backed by hints of toasty oak and wood spice ending in a long, crisp vivacious finish. As one of our tasting panelists exclaimed when they tried it, “This tastes like a sunny walk through an orange orchard.” 893 is still a bit young, so grab a few cases, one for now and one to throw down for a few years as it has the componentry to cellar for another 10+ easily.
Watch as Katy Long, Director of International Wines for VWE walks us through a tasting.