Dragonette Cellars Vogelzang Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc Review
This wine was oaked with 35% new vessels in a variety of sizes as well as some in stainless steel. It spent — get ready for this — 18 months on the lees!
Wine review by: Jessyca Frederick |
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About this Wine
Wine: 2018 Vogelzang Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc
Blend: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Happy Canyon, Santa Barbara, Central Coast, California
Vineyards: Vogelzang Vineyard
Retail price: $50
I consumed it: April 2023
My source: Dragonette Cellars Tasting Room
The Back Label
Discover More
From this winery: Dragonette Cellars
Region: Los Olivos, Central Coast, California
Wine color/style: White wine
Grape variety or blend: Sauvignon blanc
Tasting notes: Citrus, Butterscotch, Oak, Tropical fruit
Other characteristics: Small production, Aged
Vogelzang Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc: What I think
We’ve been wine club members at Dragonette Cellars for a very long time. There has never been a single bottle we’ve opened that we didn’t love. We call them wizards. This is because the winemaking team at Dragonette has a habit of treating wine differently than most — nearly everything ages on the lees and they only source immaculate fruit.
One of their most magical wines is this Vogelzang Sauvignon Blanc (they make several killer Sauvignon Blancs in a unique style), but this one has dazzled us for a decade. Most people think of Sauvignon Blanc as kind of "one note," usually crisp or tart, sometimes sour or grassy or cat pee (that’d be Marlborough in New Zealand). Not so with Dragonette.
This wine was oaked with 35% new vessels in a variety of sizes (228L, 300L, 320L, and 276L Cigars) as well as some in stainless steel. It spent — get ready for this — 18 months on the lees! This extreme lees hang time and use of oak is unique for Sauvignon Blanc producers, and aside from excellent fruit, it is what makes Dragonette’s wines as exceptional as they are.
When I tasted this in April 2023, the nose was bursting with tropical fruits like guava and pineapple, and a heady amount of butterscotch, with a touch of lemon. It is a medium-bodied, medium-acidity Sauv Blanc with Meyer lemon and grapefruit on the palate, more muted butterscotch than the nose, and in 2023, just a hint of oak.
The tech sheet (PDF) for this wine.
About Dragonette Cellars. Brothers John and Steve Dragonette partnered with Brandon Sparks-Gillis to create truly handcrafted, ultra premium wines. They are (and I can vouch for this from years of experience with their winery) committed to precision farming, low yields in the vineyards, the highest-quality oak, and creating wines of distinction. Check out Dragonette Cellars and enjoy the Insta feed.
Last updated: July 17, 2023
Notice: I hold no formal wine credentials. I am a wine geek who has consumed 1000+ of bottles from 100+ different wine clubs and 1000s more bottles that didn’t come from those wine clubs. I do not accept payment for wine reviews, and I do not accept payments to influence my opinions. I happily accept free wine (and I buy wine).
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