2018 Rudd Estate Crossroads Sauvignon Blanc Mount Veeder 750 ml

There are precious few Sauvignon Blancs that show off how gorgeously energetic and sophisticated Napa Valley white wine can be, and Rudd Estate’s Crossroads is the one we always have chilled and ready to pour. 

Vintner Samantha Rudd trained at Spottswoode and winemaker Frederick Ammons (Opus One, Seavey, The Napa Valley Reserve) has also had a hand in Château Pape Clément’s exquisite $140 Bordeaux Blanc, so it’s no surprise that Rudd fits in among the Valley greats. The only surprise is the cost: Today’s offer is only $35, a fraction of the price of other estate-grown Sauvignon Blancs in the top echelon of Napa Valley. 

Grown at the Mount Veeder estate that Rudd has dedicated to white varieties, the 2018 Crossroads bursts with the hallmarks of world-class Sauvignon Blanc: crisp aromas of fresh lemon and lime, passion fruit, river rock minerality, lemongrass, and a hint of toasted almonds, all harmonizing in the glass. Built on a sturdy backbone of crisp acidity, that energy melds into a long, vibrant finish tinged with baking spice and vanilla.

The first thing we learned walking the vineyards with Managing Director Oscar Henquet and Assistant Winemaker Natalie Bath is that Rudd takes the term “estate” very seriously. Their main property is surrounded by a wall made from rocks dug from the vineyard, evidence of an all-in-house ethos extends to the meticulous vineyard care: Every hand that touches a vine at Rudd belongs to a full-time employee—metal tags at the end of each row identify the worker who “owns” the row.  

That dedication extends to their two separate properties. Unlike the wineries that focus on red grapes and then turn out a white wine from the same terroir, Rudd purchased their Mount Veeder estate specifically for the cultivation of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Sauvignon Gris. So while their reds grow in the ideal red soils of eastern Oakville, the white grapes thrive at an 80-acre white wine Xanadu 1,600 feet above sea level—one that was chosen under the guidance of late Loire legend Didier Dagueneau. 

The Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, and Sémillon are farmed organically and sit on east-southeast facing slopes at the forest ridge line. It’s a microclimate that facilitates progressive ripening, natural and fresh acidity, and low sugars—perfect for white wine. 

An ideal and steady 2018 season allowed Rudd to pick at an unhurried pace, and get the grapes at optimal ripeness and balance. The wine was aged in Rudd’s meticulous method, using just 9% new French Oak and a mixture of neutral oak, concrete, clay amphorae, and stainless steel. 

The result is a white wine that we can’t do without—a top-level Sauvignon Blanc that fits in with the best from Napa Valley, the Loire, and Bordeaux, and it’s a steal at just $35. We’re thrilled to be first in the nation with the 2018 vintage, and can’t wait for you to try it.