Winemaker Philip Staehle says the Kick Ranch vineyard produces the best Sauvignon Blanc grapes in California. He’s obviously biased, but the sloped rocky site at the top of Rincon Valley enjoys very cool mornings and sunny days which produce exceptional grapes. Reducing the vigor of Sauvignon Blanc vines contains the yields, which is a huge part of making a great wine. The Kick Ranch delivers bright and vibrant aromas of hay, peach and nectarine that lead to flavors of anise, green apple and a hint of oak. Fans of French Sancerre wines will appreciate the rich, pure fruit core and focused acidity that lingers in the mouth for a long satisfying finish—an ideal summer wine.
Lemon-lime, citrus leaf, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, spearmint, green olive and minerals.
Winemaker and owner Philip Staehle makes wines of distinction and personality focused on varieties of the Northern Rhône Valley and Burgundy. After working in various roles with other notable wine producers, he started Enkidu. He says he wanted to “return to working with my hands, to use all my senses and to live according to the seasons of the year.” He takes a non-interventionist, minimalist approach that maximizes the expression of the fruit from the vineyards. Staehle strives to make handcrafted wines of unique character that are the result of passion, art and intelligence, mixed with hard work and a degree of luck. Whereas many producers’ names of their labels may not hold a large relevance to the wines they produce, the Enkidu ancient mythological figure is the driving force and guide of wine production.
This is a generous and giving SB due to some malolactic fermentation and time spent in the barrel. As a result the wine will pair with richer fish and shellfish dishes. That being said, I recommend a pairing of Seared Sea Bass with Artichoke Salad. Artichokes are hard to pair with wine but the citrus, minerals and good mid-palate texture in the Enkidu, can handle the challenge.
Enkidu refers to the hero warrior fashioned from clay by a goddess, from the epic poem “Gilgamesh,” the oldest known work of fiction. It’s also the name of the winemaker’s vineyard companion, his trusted Golden Retriever.
