The wine business has many stories, but it is the juice that makes the story relevant. Picayune is a label that was founded in 2011 by Claire Ducrocq Weinkauf, a French native that grew up in Auvergne, and the wine is produced as part of the program of a small wine shop/mercantile in Calistoga. That in and of itself isn’t particularly grabbing. There are lots of small, seemingly cottage projects in places like Napa. But when we tasted the wine, clearly there had to be more to the story.
There was a certain presence to this Sauvignon that indicated someone was behind this that was more than just some elevated hobbyist. The Sauvignon Blanc was a proper Napa Sauv with bright pear, melon with a supportive underpinning of citrus, a thread of minerality, and bright acidity. The flavors, while not overbearing, are beautifully proportioned, pure, and subtly honed. Clearly there was more to this well-priced little Sauv Blanc than met the eye.
Digging deeper, we found that Claire was a trained winemaker who studied in France and ended up working at Paul Hobbs Cobos operation in Argentina, eventually coming to California. Picayune is a self described negociant operation with Claire selecting various lots that appealed to her and putting together wines based on what she found. This one, as the label states, is 94% Napa with a 6% dollop of Sonoma fruit. It’s 100% Sauvignon Blanc that is done in 70% stainless steel and 30% neutral barrels. She apparently has a consulting business as well involving some fairly impressive clients.
Fresh and vibrant at every turn, the Picayune Sauvignon Blanc 94% Napa County/6% Sonoma County 2020 isn’t stylistically flamboyant but it’s an elevated example of exactly what a quality Sauvignon from around there should taste like. You could easily drink the whole bottle without necessarily paying attention to the craftsmanship and precision, but it’s there. The price is definitely another plus, particularly for something that says Napa on it. But we suspect given the ‘casual’ presentation of the business overall that attractive pricing is part of the formula.
The Picayune Sauvignon Blanc 94% Napa County/6% Sonoma County 2020 is a delightful, unpretentious, sneaky find that fills a need and that was our motivation in bringing it in. You don’t find wines in this price range this well executed all that often. At the end of Claire’s profile, it made the point that Claire lived in Calistoga with her two children and her husband Aron Weinkauf, who is apparently the winemaker at Spottswoode. Like we said, there was more to this label than we knew going in. Stuff like this rarely makes it out of Napa. Delightful Sauvignon, sneaky value.