2017 Sauvignon Blanc Lillie

Winemaker Dan Petroski turned out an absolutely stellar set of wines at Larkmead in both 2016 and 2017. The bottled 2016s capture every bit of potential I sensed in these wines when they were in barrel. Conditions in 2017 were far more challenging than they were in 2016. Yields are down a whopping 43% across the board, much of that caused by heat spikes in both June and July. Petroski added that cluster weights and berry sizes were both on the small side, and that sugars struggled to climb during the final phase of ripening because of the accumulated stress in the vines. Remarkably, the 2017s offer quite a bit of potential just the same. As a reminder, the LMV Salon is the Cabernet Franc-based wine, while Firebelle is built on a core of Merlot. The Dr. Olmo, Solari and The Lark Cabernets emerge from specific portions of the vineyard that have been defined according to soil type.