Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/913027
{ SOMMjournal.com } 109 Sauvignon Blanc is one of St. Supéry's calling cards. The Dollarhide Sauvignon Blanc is a 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the 1,531-acre estate Dollarhide Ranch, located in the hillsides of northeastern Napa Valley. "It's estate, it's got name recognition, it pairs well with seafood—it ticks all the boxes," says Matt Strickler, Wine Director for George's on the Cove in La Jolla, California, in reference to the St. Supéry Dollarhide Sauvignon Blanc. He features the wine both by the glass and by the bottle at the establishment's three busy dining venues, and also sells the St. Supéry Rutherford Estate Merlot on the main list to pair with Chef Trey Foshee's succulent duck, steaks, and pork loin. The Dollarhide Sauvignon Blanc is "a machine for us—it sells itself," continues Strickler, who has "taken a good whack at the wine list" since he assumed the role of Wine Director a year ago (he is also GM of California Modern, George's fine-dining restaurant). "You have to walk the line between geeky and approachable," Strickler cautions, and at George's he finds the Dollarhide Sauvignon Blanc perfectly fills that role with its Bordeaux backstory and its fresh, complex, and food-friendly flavor profile. His bottom line on this Sauvignon Blanc: "It's a standout." Meanwhile, at Nobu in Las Vegas' Caesars Palace, newly-appointed Wine Director John Peiser is also a fan of the Dollarhide Sauvignon Blanc. Peiser, who previously worked for five years with the José Andrés restaurant group in Vegas, first got to know St. Supéry when he spent a day at Dollarhide Ranch in 2011 as part of a Napa Valley education course. "The Dollarhide is our only Sauvignon Blanc by the glass, so we move through a lot of it," comments Peiser. "It's citrusy, bright, refreshing, not super heavy, and works well with seafood. Many guests prefer Sauvignon Blanc with our cuisine because of its acidity." On the off-premise side, Nor th American Wine Buyer Dan Williams, a 15-year "lifer" at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, California, sees the St Supéry estate wines as offering "exceptional value for the dollar." In business for 60 years, the family-owned Hi-Time now does around $30 million a year (including online sales) from its 22,000-square-foot store. Like others who have visited Dollarhide Ranch, WIlliams calls it "an absolutely gorgeous piece of proper ty" and says that the Dollarhide Sauvignon Blanc "flies off the shelf " at Hi-Time. On the red side, Williams champions the St. Supéry Rutherford Estate Merlot from the 35-acre vineyard surrounding the win - ery in the heart of Napa Valley. "If people dismiss Merlot, that's ignorance on their behalf," opines Williams, who admires the Rutherford Estate Merlot's "distinct black- fruit profile with plums, blackberry, currants, hints of violets, and finish of velvety tannins." Although he's accustomed to hand-selling wines to his clientele, Williams happily notes that "people come in specifically looking for St. Supéry." And since winemaker Michael Scholz returned to the winery in 2009, Williams says "the staff has jumped on the bandwagon" for these wines. Completing the lineup of St. Supéry estate wines are the Dollarhide Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and the Rutherford Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. With a solid portfolio of all- estate offerings accentuating Bordelais heritage and restrained Napa Valley style, St. Supéry is truly the "estate of the art." PHOTO: MARGARET SOSS The St. Supéry Rutherford Estate Merlot comes from the 35-acre vineyard surrounding the winery in the heart of Napa Valley. Dan Williams is the North American Wine Buyer at high-volume retailer Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, CA, where the staff has "jumped on the bandwagon" for St. Supéry.