05 May Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Alma de Cattleya 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County

Originally from France, the popular Sauvignon Blanc grape is grown around the world in places such as New Zealand, Chile, Italy, South Africa, Canada, and California. A hugely popular wine for its aromatic character and fresh flavors, Sauvignon Blanc ranges in style from lean to abundant and can be found as a single variety, in a blend, or as a sweet wine. No matter where it is from or how it is made, on the first Friday of May each year, Sauvignon Blanc is celebrated on International Sauvignon Blanc Day. In anticipation of the holiday, I opened up a bottle of the Alma de Cattleya 2020 Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma County, the Please The Palate wine of the week. Alma de Cattleya is produced by winemaker Bibiana González Rave. “Alma” is the Spanish word for “soul” and Cattleya is the national flower of Colombia, where Bibiana was born. Bibiana’s winemaking style is to produce wines that express the purity of the fruit and where it comes from. And that is what her Sauvignon Blanc does. The fruit for the Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from five different vineyards in Sonoma County. The grapes are hand-sorted before being gently pressed and fermented in neutral oak barrels and stainless steel tanks. The wine is then aged on the lees for six months in neutral French oak. Even with fermentation in neutral oak and time on the less, the intense aromatics of the Sauvignon Blanc are preserved. The nose of the wine explodes with aromas of grapefruit, lime, lemon peel, ripe melon, and floral notes. On the palate, it is refreshingly crisp with bright acidity but there is also a lovely mid-palate texture that lingers followed by a mouthwatering finish making you want to take another sip. Pair with cow’s milk cheeses, grilled fish, grilled chicken and international cuisine. Celebrate International Sauvignon Blanc Day with your favorite Sauvignon Blanc. And, if you want to try the Alma de Cattleya Sauvignon Blanc, you can order it from the winery’s website for $22.