Adjust the font-size to save space and fit your needs.
Toggle the view of the overview and additional details.
Remove specific press pieces by highlighting and deleting the desired text and/or images.
Customize & Print
Save your page as a PDF using your built-in browser’s “Print” option. Just click the “Preview & Print” button and change the “Destination” from your local printer to any of your installed PDF applications. Please note: these steps vary slightly by browser.
Dancing Crow
Sauvignon Blanc Farmer’s Cuvée
United States, California, Lake County
White
Winery Overview
Dancing Crow's estate vineyards are located near Clear Lake in Lake County where the abundant water, vegetation and wildlife attracted the most concentrated population of Native Americans in California. Early Europeans settlers by the mid 1850's were quick to identify the area as prime agricultural land. Pears and walnuts were popular early crops in addition to vineyards. At one time Lake County was considered "The Pear Capital of the World" . The oldest vineyard was planted in 1901 and is a registered historic vineyard still producing fruit today. Dancing Crow's Sauvignon Blanc vineyard was a pear orchard until in 1998. A Lake County farmers rule of thumb is, plant Sauvignon Blanc where pears thrive and Red Varietals where walnuts do.
Owner/Founder Tony Cartlidge, after selling the very successful Cartlidge & Browne Winery in 2011, was interested in developing a family winery with his wife Sarah and sons Adam and Stefan. Having purchased Sauvignon Blanc fruit since 2002 from the Dancing Crow Vineyard for Cartlidge & Browne's only single vineyard wine, he was aware of the exceptional quality and the unique Sancerre style of wine that could be derived from this site. He was able to purchase this 36 acre vineyard and released the first vintage of Sauvignon Blanc under the Dancing Crow Vineyards label with the 2014 vintage. After acquiring the Dancing Crow vineyard Tony worked with vineyard manager David Weiss and winemakers David and Katharine DeSante to diversify the vines planted to four clonal selections. In 2018 Tony purchased 20 acres in the Kelsey Bench AVA, perhaps the finest red wine growing area in Lake County. 7 of the acres are the historic 'Old Stake 1901 Vineyard,' which has some 20 head trained varietals that compose the winery's Field Blend and are valued components to the Dancing Crow Zinfandel. Adjacent to the ancient vines are 13 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon planted in 2017 and harvested for the first time in 2021. Dancing Crow Vineyards works closely with several additional growers to add to their selection of wines. A new state of the art winery has been built next to Dancing Crow's Sauvignon Blanc vineyard and in 2022 Dancing Crow welcomed Scott Kirkpatrick as their new wine maker!
Located just 20 miles north of Calistoga, Dancing Crow and the Lake County AVA boast many similarities to the famed Napa Valley region. Deep, nutrient rich clay soils and high-elevation vineyards deliver concentrated California wines at an incredible value. Regal carries the following Dancing Crow Wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Old Stake 1901 Field Blend.
Dancing Crow owns 3 parcels of estate land totaling to 56 acres under vine. The vineyard elevations range from 1400-1500 feet and the diverse set of vines are anywhere from 4 to 120 years old. All soils are volcanic influenced; a dense black clay for the Sauvignon Blanc, and red, iron-rich, alluvial soils for the Old Stake Vineyard.
Terroir
Grapes for the Dancing Crow Sauvignon Blanc are harvested at around 1400 ft. elevation on the western shore of Clear Lake in Northern California’s beautiful Lake County. Over thousands of years, runoff from the Mayacamas’ mountain range settled in this area near the shores of Clear Lake, creating vineyards with a nutrient-rich mix of clay, gravel and alluvial loams. In the summer months, the mountain climate of Lake County sees hot daytime temperatures; yet the vines can recover from the heat of the day, and respire at night, due to cool coastal breezes pulled in during the evening by the vast size of Clear Lake.
Vinification
After pressing the grapes, our winemaker Scott Kirkpatrick utilizes cold fermentation and lees stirring to enhance texture and accentuate innate aromas. The wine is given a bit more oxygen contact to broaden the pallet, and more lees contact to expand mouthfeel while amplifying floral and fruit aromatics. A small amount of Semillon is added to enhance a subtle richness on the palate. In the style of Sancerre, our winemaking focuses on highlighting the bright, aromatic side of Sauvignon Blanc, focusing on the grape’s citrus, stone, and pome fruit flavors, with crisp, refreshing acidity and a hint of minerality on the finish.
Aging
5 mo. stainless steel
Tasting Notes
Our Farmer’s Cuvée has a beautiful acidity that is invigorating, but also softly coats your mouth, easing into a place of depth and balance. The aromatics contain beautiful touches of white grapefruit, Meyer lemon, and yuzu alongside the enticing scent of jasmine and dried gardenias. On the palate it has a gracefulness that is unexpected. There is a tender richness that fills the mouth without a touch of heaviness; the fruit and floral qualities come through in a lithe framework that excite your palate without ever overwhelming it, leaving you with a beautifully lush yet vivacious experience to reminisce upon.
