2017 AXR Winery Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley

A Perfectionist’s Napa Sauvignon Blanc

AXR Sauvignon Blanc is already one of Napa’s most prestigious Sauvignon Blancs. Not only has AXR’s 100-point winemaker Jean Hoefliger made Sauvignon Blanc for two of the world’s great producers — Château Lynch-Bages and Château Carbonnieux in Bordeaux — but his California resume is stellar as well: It boasts two perfect wines under The Debate label, several 98-pointers at Alpha Omega, a slew of impressive wines with Newton and Michel Rolland. Sourcing fruit from the exquisitely situated Crossroads Vineyard in Oakville, a stone’s throw from Silver Oak, Hoefliger has crafted a lush, vibrant, and spiced Sauvignon Blanc that does his pedigree proud.

There are two things you need to know about the AXR Sauvignon Blanc: The first is that the wine almost didn’t exist. Sauvignon Blanc was never part of the grand plan hatched by the four friends who founded AXR in 2013. But their lineup lacked a crisp white wine to pour for guests as they walked in the door of the winery, so in 2016 they jumped on the opportunity to source some Sauvignon Blanc from the prestigious Crossroads Vineyard in Oakville. They should have known that crossing such stellar fruit with a winemaker like Jean Hoefliger would not result in a forgettable, one-and-done wine. Far from it. The inaugural vintage of his complex, Bordelaise-style Sauvignon Blanc sold out in two months, and left converts clamoring for more.

The second thing you need to know is that 2017 will be the last vintage of AXR Sauvignon Blanc as we know it. The whirlwind success of the first vintage led Hoefliger back to the Crossroads Vineyard in 2017, so this vintage — just like 2016 — is made from 100% Crossroads fruit. But there isn’t enough Sauvignon Blanc available at the vineyard to keep up with the growth that AXR has planned. So while future vintages of AXR Sauvignon Blanc may be excellent, they will not be sourced exclusively from the Crossroads Vineyard.

This wine is made in the grand tradition of Napa borrowing the time-tested techniques of Bordeaux. The AXR Sauvignon Blanc is fermented 50% in stainless steel and 50% in barrel, then aged six months before bottling. The wine is stirred weekly, with lees contact maintained the whole time to impart roundness and texture. The finished wine boasts the attributes of Bordeaux-inspired Sauvignon Blanc from Napa: It is creamy and fresh, with beautiful citrus and spice.

A 100-point winemaker who has crafted world-renowned Sauvignon Blanc. Single-vineyard fruit from some of the most prized land in Napa. Combine those factors with a household winery name, and you’re looking at a $40-50 bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. Just be grateful that Jean Hoefliger and his partners are just scratching the surface at AXR, and that the 2017 AXR Sauvignon Blanc is available in just two places: at the winery, and at Wine Access.

Matt Deller MW

Master of Wine

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Sweetness
• Acidity

• ABV 14.00%
• Enjoy right away
• Drink Up
• % Sauvignon Blanc
• Serving temperature – 48°
• Cork