Charles Krug Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2021

Krug and Mondavi are two last names that carry tremendous weight in Napa Valley and California winemaking. Charles Krug was the winemaking pioneer who became one of the first in the area to plant grapes when he established his namesake winery in 1861. Cesare and Rosa Mondavi would go on to purchase that estate in the early 1940’s and the Mondavi’s have managed the property for over 80 years and through four generations. Needless to say, there is unparalleled history and tradition there.

The beautiful Krug Estate, the oldest winery estate in the country, calls the revered St. Helena AVA their home. It’s a flat out gorgeous, state-of-the art winery, with no expenses spared in their operation. In fact, the team even pays to have their Sauvignon Blanc grapes picked in the dead of night to ensure the perfect time, when the grapes are pristine and not stressed from the heat or the sun.

In doing so, they preserve the full aromatic fireworks – a bouquet of stone fruits, guava, grapefruit and melon with wonderful lemony acidity and tension. The body is excellent and crisp with a touch of minerality to compliment the energetic, juicy fruit. The stainless steel maturation process makes this one especially expressive right from the start.

Unsurprisingly, this beautiful Napa Valley Sauv Blanc is one of the higher rated domestic Sauvnignon Blancs in the 2021 vintage. Armed with a 92-point score from James Suckling who called the wine, “bright” , “steely” and “crisp.” Surprisingly though, for such class, it’s got a juicy Tuesday night price that pushes this into the no-brainer category.