Olivia Brion Wines 'Taquine' White Blend, Lost Slough Vineyard, Clarksburg, CA 2023

Olivia Brion wines represent a tribute to the pioneering spirit of trailblazing women throughout history. Founded by Napa wine veteran David Mahaffey, who has been making wines in California since 1980, the brand takes its name from the fictional character Olivia Brion, a suffragist, daring athlete, and descendant of a great French wine family. In 2022, winemaker Kira Ballotta became the proud owner, continuing the brand's legacy of innovation and storytelling. Kira began making wine for Olivia Brion in 2016 and assumed full ownership and winemaking duties by 2022. Her journey into wine began in 2011 when she helped wash barrels while working in investment banking in San Francisco, analyzing winery mergers and acquisitions. Drawn to the craft behind her spreadsheets, she spent thirteen years learning winemaking throughout Napa and Australia, becoming dedicated to a business organized around sustainability and gentle practices for the earth. She strives to make wines driven by balance and age-worthiness that are distinctly Californian. The Taquine bottling is named after the French word for "tease" and serves as a playful homage to Annette Kellerman, the fearless early competitive swimmer and inventor of hydrodynamic athletic swimwear for women who was famously arrested in 1902 for daring to wear a one-piece swimsuit. Each Olivia Brion wine tells a different chapter in the story, with labels inspired by the full lives of real women who changed history.

• WINEMAKER: Kira Ballotta.
• FARMING: Organically farmed by second-generation growers. The brand prides itself on soil revival and ecological balance in the vineyard, with a focus on sustainability and meticulous attention to detail at every stage.
• VARIETY: 50% Cortese and 50% Falanghina, two aromatic Italian grape varietals from northern and southern Italy respectively.
• TERROIR: Lost Slough Vineyard in the Clarksburg AVA, situated in the Sacramento River Delta. The sixteen-mile-long by eight-mile-wide viticultural area encompasses delta lands characterized by dense clay, silt, and loam soils deposited by the Sacramento River. The region is known for aromatic whites, particularly Chenin Blanc. Fog and cool breezes from San Francisco Bay keep Clarksburg significantly cooler than nearby Sacramento, with daytime temperatures typically 10 degrees Fahrenheit cooler. The cooler air and loamy soil from the Delta impart a rare minerality not commonly found in most California white grapes. Lost Slough Vineyard's location along the misty California Delta provides ideal conditions for these Italian varietals to express themselves with distinctive freshness and vibrancy.
• VINIFICATION: The Cortese component undergoes one day of skin contact before pressing, which does not impact the wine's color but provides an appealing textural quality that balances the abundance of citrus character. This tiny bit of skin contact tempers the orange peel character of Cortese. The wine is fermented in stainless steel with native yeasts.
• AGING: Nine months in neutral French oak barrels, which adds complexity and depth without masking the wine's vibrant fruit character. The wine is then aged on the lees, contributing to a subtle creaminess that balances the high arc of acidity.
• TASTING NOTES: Pale white gold in color. The wine enters with verbose aromatics of fresh honeysuckle flower, candied orange blossom, and a touch of key lime pie. Additional notes include white blossoms, chamomile, lemon, orange peel, pineapple, a hint of vanilla bean, Bosc pear, lemon verbena, white peach, jasmine, and honeydew melon. On the palate, vibrant flavors of lemon cheesecake, peach, nectarine, apricot, and pastry dough are balanced by stony minerality. Additional flavors include white peach, almond, mild white grapefruit, tarragon, lemongrass, and white tea. The wine is medium-plus bodied with bright acidity balanced by a creamy mouthfeel and pleasing viscosity. Cutting acidity and zippy citrus, kumquat, and green apple flavors create a thirst-quenching character. The mouthfeel is balanced, round, supple, and mouthwatering. In true Lost Slough style, a touch of salinity on the finish expresses the terroir. The wine is aromatic, bright, and dangerously easy to drink all day long with its refreshingly low 11.9% alcohol.
• FOOD PAIRINGS: A food-friendly and versatile wine that pairs beautifully with raw oysters (particularly Kumamoto oysters), shellfish, fresh cheeses, green vegetables, fish and chips, stuffed quahogs, and ceviche. An excellent aperitif-style wine that complements light seafood dishes and acts as a fantastic starter wine for any occasion.
• SCORES: Ken's Wine Guide 91 points.

Just 250 cases produced. This harmonious blend of two aromatic Italian varietals and one incredible growing site for white wines creates a distinctive expression of the Sacramento Delta terroir that is rare among California whites.