Flora Springs 2021 'Soliloquy' Napa Valley
Item Number: 17414
UPC: 0-011472317503
Country: USA
Region: California
Sub Region: Napa Valley
Appellation/AVA: Napa Valley
Estate Grown Wine: Yes
Vintage: 2021
Grape(s): 73% Sauvignon Blanc / 12% Chardonnay / 15% Malvasia
Type: Wine - White
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Pack: 6
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 14.2
Viticulture: Practicing Organic
Case Production: 605
Soliloquy History: From the outstanding 2021 vintage, the Flora Springs Soliloquy is the continuation of a remarkable journey that began in 1985. Noting the unique character of a small block of Sauvignon Blanc from their Crossroads Vineyard in the Oakville AVA, Flora Springs fermented and bottled it separately as their first Soliloquy white wine. They had a hunch that there was something exceptional about these Sauvignon Blanc vines, which was confirmed in the late 1980s when .…and when critics responded enthusiastically to the wine. But the journey took a turn in the 1990s when the vines became diseased and the clone nearly went extinct. Determined to save this piece of Napa Valley history, the family spent the next 8 years in a quest to preserve the Soliloquy clone, growing new plant material in a lab, propagating a few dozen vines in a nursery, and replicating them in the vineyard.
With new vines established, General Manager Nat Komes took Soliloquy on as a personal project, conducting numerous blending trials over a three-year period to re-create the Soliloquy wine he and his family remember so fondly. Experimenting with different yeast strains, fermentation regimes, aging vessels and varietal compositions yielded the wine Nat knew from taste memory, and today, Soliloquy represents his quest to create the finest white wine they have ever made. Today, Soliloquy represents this quest to create a singular white wine and a worthy companion to the Flora Springs proprietary red wine, Trilogy.
Vintage Notes: The 2021 Soliloquy was grown in the well-drained H block of Crossroads Vineyard, where vineyard practices include aggressive vine and cluster management to ensure an ideal balance of fruit to green growth. The 2021 vintage in Napa Valley will be remembered for a smooth, uneventful growing season and harvest that produced low yields of intensely flavored, small-sized grape clusters. The season started off with very little rain and continued as a dry, sunny summer led to a relatively cool fall with weeks of lovely weather. 2021 represented the second drought year in a row, and while concerning in the long term, the dry weather resulted in a more natural crop load on the vines, requiring less pruning and dropping of fruit. The resulting grapes were packed full of flavor leading to powerful, concentrated wines.
Tasting Notes: Whole cluster pressing and 7 months of aging in seasoned French oak barrels yielded a beautifully balanced and multi-layered blend of white varieties that offers well-rounded flavors of grapefruit, Meyer lemon, yellow peach and spice. Sauvignon Blanc anchors the wine with bold flavors and zesty acidity, while the Chardonnay brings a creamy mouthfeel and notes of ripe pear and apple. Malvasia gives the wine its alluring notes of citrus flower and jasmine. This is a delicious rendering of Soliloquy from an extraordinary vintage.
91pts (2022 Vintage) Wine Spectator 1/31/2024
"Complex and aromatic, this offers notes of honeysuckle, lemon blossom and makrut lime leaf. There's also a refreshing core of acidity, offering details of yuzu and lemon sherbet, plus a touch of sliced apple and apple skin on the finish."