Florèz Wines ‘Shangra-li Mendo Savvy-B’ Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Location: United States, California

Winemaker: James Jelks

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc

Soil: gravelly loam

Winemaking: The fruit was destemmed and left to rest on their skins overnight. This allows flavors and aromatic compounds to leach from the grape skins, as well as contribute some texture. The juice was then fermented with native yeasts in stainless to preserve aromatics and freshness. This vintage, 35% was aged in neutral oak to explore differences in elevage. Aged sur lies for 6 months before being racked once in preparation for bottling. No filtration, no ameliorations, and no sulfite additions at any point.

From the Importer Jenny and Francois: ‘Shangra-li Mendo Savvy B’ evokes aromas of guava, lemon peel, white peach, fresh-cut hay, and yeast. A very slight effervescence from dissolved CO2 due to the stainless aging gives liveliness to the palate.

Florèz Wines was started by James Jelks in 2017. James grew up in the Santa Cruz area and was schooled in winemaking at nearby UC Davis. He worked in wineries all over the world for 10 years before returning home to make wine in the Santa Cruz area. He is farming some vineyards himself, always dry-farmed, and is also sourcing some fruit from organic and sustainable vineyards. He always works with native yeasts, does not use additives except for a minimal amount of sulfur at bottling, and does not filter the wines.