2021 AXR Winery Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 750 ml

The first thing you need to know about the AXR Sauvignon Blanc is that it 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 winery door, so in 2016 they jumped on the opportunity to source some Sauvignon Blanc from a prestigious 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, especially since the 100-point winemaker has made Sauvignon Blanc for two of the world’s great producers — Château Lynch-Bages and Château Carbonnieux in Bordeaux.

Of course, Hoefliger’s 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.

This wine is made in the grand tradition of Napa borrowing the time-tested techniques of Bordeaux. It’s 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—and if you ask us, one of Napa’s most delectable Sauvignon Blancs.