Blended with a highly efficacious 20% of Semillon and matured entirely in barrique (albeit mostly well-used), Novelty Hill’s 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Stillwater Creek Vineyard offers a superb demonstration of this dramatically wind-exposed site’s white wine potential, as well as terrific value. Scents and luscious juiciness of honeydew and musk melons are tinged with almond extract and ginger, and for all of its sense of lushness, this finishes with rapier penetration, clarity, refreshment and invigoration, all against a sounding board of wet stone that would turn a Riesling (admittedly) already green envious. This is apt to delight for at least another couple of years, though don’t miss enjoying some as soon as possible. (Given a thousand case production, your chances of being able to do so are pretty good.)
Novelty Hill wines are made by veteran Mike Januik in the same (deluxe, now five year old) facility as are his Januik wines (reviewed separately in this report), but is a partnership with Tom Alberg and Judi Beck that originated when in 2000 they consulted with Januik on the establishment of what became Stillwater Creek Vineyard. Unsurprisingly, that inspirational Frenchman Hills site (for a bit more about which, see my comments in the introduction to this report) is the source for around one-third the volume of Novelty Hill’s wines (and is, incidentally, where I tasted them). While there are a number of excellent white wines on this roster, it should be borne in mind that more than three-quarters of Novelty Hill production is red, vinified along the lines sketched in my account of Januik wines in the present report.
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