It’s good to see a Sauvignon Blanc in the Phelps portfolio. There are 2,500 cases of the 2005, a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Semillon, all from estate vineyards. It is a tasty effort revealing crisp melon and grapefruit notes intermixed with hints of figs and lemon oil. Enjoy it over the next 12 months. Previously recommended: 2002 Insignia (95), 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard (96+). Tel. (707) 963-2745; Fax (707) 963-4831

Napa Valley and Sauvignon Blanc aren’t always the best combination, but this is a superior wine that shows how a great winery can perform when it takes things seriously. With 10% Semillon, barrel fermented and aged sur lees, it’s a marvelously complicated wine, dry and crisp in acids, with impressive citrus, peach and honeysuckle flavors.——S.H.(3/1/2007)—— 91