Brander Cuvee Natalie 2015
-
Enthusiast
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 37% Sauvignon Blanc, 38% Pinto Gris, 25% Riesling
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
This unique blend of 37% Sauvignon Blanc, 38% Pinot Gris and 25% Riesling plays each grape to a distinct advantage. Its fresh aromas recall yellow blossoms, jasmine and stone, while the palate bursts with rounded stone fruit and tangy citrus peel flavors, all driven by bright acidity.
Editors’ Choice
Other Vintages
2021-
Enthusiast
Wine
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
Ranging from cool and foggy in the west to warm and dry in the east, the Santa Ynez Valley is a climatically diverse growing area. The most expansive AVA within the larger Santa Barbara County region, Santa Ynez is also home to a wide variety of soil types and geographical features. The appellation is further divided into four distinct sub-AVAs—Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos District and Happy Canyon—each with its own defining characteristics.
A wide selection of grapes is planted here—more than sixty different varieties, and counting. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate in the chilly west, while Zinfandel, Rhône blends, and Bordeaux blends rule the arid east. Syrah is successful at both ends of the valley, with a lean and peppery, Old-World sensibility closer to the coast and lush berry fruit further inland.