2022 St. Supery Virtu, Meritage, Napa Valley, California

Tasting note

Aromas of grapefruit, lemon rind and fig are threaded together with toasted oak and a hint of pear. Grapefruit, lemon and fig continue throughout the palate complemented by flavours of lemongrass and quince. Toasted oak and a creamy texture round out this elegant wine.

Our thoughts

White Bordeaux blends are increasingly rare – and, sadly, rather unfashionable – in today’s wine world, with only Australia and South Africa producing them in any meaningful volume outside of their homeland. A handful still come out of California, and this is a classic example – an almost 50/50 blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc aged in French oak (of which around a quarter is new) and aged on the lees for five months before bottling. The result is a wine touched by orange citrus notes with vitality and freshness that will age sublimely over a decade or more.