2016 Grieve Family Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 750 ml

When we received confirmation on our exclusive, nearly 50% off price on the 2016 Grieve Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, we couldn’t wait to share what is in our estimation one of the best Sauvignon Blancs you can buy in California—even at its standard $45 price. 

At $25, this 2016 Grieve is as close to a benchmark Bordeaux-style Sauvignon Blanc you’ll find in the Napa Valley—with a commanding character that is all its own. 

Though it’s known for gracing tables at acclaimed spots like The French Laundry and Michael Mina, VP of Wine Eduardo Dingler’s early support for Grieve (developed over years and countless omakase experiences at Morimoto) meant that we were the lucky ones who got the call when the Grieves pivoted from restaurant sales for the 2016—a vintage that was called “brilliant” by Vinous, “outstanding” by James Suckling, and “spectacular” by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

Before David Grieve even finished asking if Wine Access might be interested, Eduardo was already in the car and heading to the winery.

Deep and dense, a golden-tinged hue precedes a cavalcade of thought-stirring aromas, which leap out of the glass with white flowers, apricot blossom, and lemon wrapped in marzipan and spice. The palate is even more generous, giving its citrus, orchard fruit, and toast notes time to shine before carrying them through a long, memorable finish unlike no other.

Its sophistication lies in its lifted structure, ensuring it will cellar beautifully alongside the very best Médoc whites though 2030 and beyond.

From a unique microclimate in Lovall Valley, just north of the point where the majestic Mayacamas begin their slow descent toward the San Pablo Bay, Grieve’s estate vineyard straddles the county line between Sonoma and Napa—though this plot is cooler than the average of both. Its vines benefit from unique ocean-floor silt soils full of crushed seashells (this part of the valley was underwater following the Ice Age) giving the wine its mouthwatering complexity.

The only route to the winery is from the Sonoma side, following a sun-dappled, serpentine road where villas and weathered farmhouses occasionally punctuate hilltops covered in golden California high grass. It’s a beautiful piece of land, and easy to see why it's able to produce such a sensational wine.

At the keen suggestion of winemaker Vance Rose (who is also the talent behind Wine Access favorite The Vice) the Grieves double-farm the vineyard, treating the north side of the vineyard differently from the south side, optimizing Sauvignon Blanc’s need for sun exposure to maximize the flavor intensity in the grapes. This includes the need for two separate harvests for the same wine—a highly unusual process that’s both labor-intensive and expensive, but which clearly shows in every sip of this extraordinary wine.

It’s an honor to offer one of our absolute favorite Napa Sauvignon Blancs at such an accessible price. At our exclusive $25 a bottle, this is a rare opportunity to stock up on an underground value that usually goes straight to Michelin-starred lists.