The rivalry between Boonville and Philo has existed for generations and maps from the early 1900's described a line dividing the two communities as the Mason Dixon line. Viticultural conditions, as well as politics, divide the valley. Boonville is further from the ocean than Philo and the summer weather is always warmer. 2006 saw a significant difference between the two locations. Philo was often shrouded in fog during summer mornings while Boonville was clear. Gewürztraminer is supposedly the earliest ripening of all the varieties grown in Anderson Valley but before we had harvested our first Gewürztraminer grapes in Philo we had already harvested all the Sauvignon Blanc from Boonville and we were preparing to harvest the even later ripening Semillon since we like to add a splash of it to our Cuvée 128. The previous vintage we had experimented with fermenting and aging Sauvignon Blanc in large neutral oak casks as practiced by a handful of premium producers on the Loire. We liked the results: a slightly rounder mouthfeel which softens the tart Anderson Valley fruit.

---

---

Half of this wine was fermented and aged in oak casks. The other half was cool-fermented in stainless steel and when the fermentation ended the wine was racked to seasoned French oak puncheons to age and clarify naturally. The lemony finish and subtle herbal flavors are likely to enhance dinner no matter where you sit on the political spectrum. Gold Medal winner.

---