2015 Grimm's Bluff Estate Sauvignon Blanc Estate Happy Canyon Santa Barbara 750 ml

 A Sauvignon Blanc 25 Generations in the Making

Grimm’s Bluff is the result of a partnership between one of the most respected growers in California and a visionary winemaker in the state’s most exciting appellation for Sauvignon Blanc. Together, Philippe Corderey (whose family has been in the vineyards of Europe for 25 generations) and Golden State superstar Paul Lato have teamed up at Grimm’s, producing Sauvignon Blanc that’s unrivaled in the Central Coast.

Their 2015 Grimm’s Bluff Estate Sauvignon Blanc is an enticing, unexpectedly transporting white wine which bursts with delightful aromas of gooseberry and fresh-cut guava before giving way to a precede a creamy, spearmint-flecked palate that’s fleshy and expressive yet perfectly structured. It’s all electrified with crisp, mouthwatering acidity that keeps everything lively through the long, balanced finish. This is a must-have for fans of the always excellent Sauvignon Blancs of Pete Stolpman, and lovers of white wine in general.

Since 2011, the unstoppable duo of Corderey and Lato have been crafting wines of expressiveness and aging potential at Grimm’s Bluff, channeling all that the remarkable Happy Canyon appellation can achieve into wines that have become darlings of critics across the country.

It doesn’t come as a surprise, considering Corderey made a name for himself with his transformative work in the Rhône Valley with Chapoutier; and in California with Bonny Doon, Tablas Creek, and Grgich Hills. Lato likewise has a star-studded résumé, working under the tutelage of Central Coast greats including Bob Lindquist at Qupe and Jim Clendenen at Au Bon Climat.

Wine Spectator praised their 2015 release as “a touch exotic, with plenty of honeysuckle and peach blossom aromatics up front, and marmalade, lemongrass and fresh lemon thyme notes on the plump and juicy finish.” Vinous also chimed in, praising this as “rich, luscious and textured to the core. Apricot pit, peach, lemon confit, mint and sweet spices infuse a layered, super-expressive Sauvignon that captures the essence of this site and the vintage.”

In 2015 Corderey and Lato, along with owners Rick and Aurora Grimm, decided to include approximately 33% musqué clone in their blend, which Galloni noted “gives the wine its exotic, tropical aromatics.” But it’s more than that: Happy Canyon is unique in the world of California wine, with its shimmering sun and proximity to the Pacific Ocean whose influence is attenuated by east-west mountains, which allow the cool Pacific winds to funnel into the vineyards, lending the wines ripe, tropical fruit flavors and a backbone of refreshing acidity. 

The 2015 Grimm’s Bluff Estate Sauvignon Blanc is the gorgeous byproduct of all of this: A visionary team, stunning terroir, and weather conditions that resulted in a wine of structure and character that defies expectations…just like the team involved in its creation has been doing for years. Or rather, generations.