Fortress Wine: Talk about focus!

Here’s a winery on Mt. Konocti in Napa Valley’s Lake County that produces exactly ONE wine: a Sauvignon Blanc made of 100% Musque clone grapes.

“My husband believes in doing one thing well before he moves on to something else,” said Barbara Snider, co-owner of Fortress Vineyards and — by the way — mother to Tim Snider, who happens to be vice president of the much larger Fess Parker Winery as well as the son-in-law of Fess himself. “We decided to focus on the Sauvignon Blanc until we got it just right.”

I’d say the Sniders (senior) can start experimenting with Pinot Noir.

Their Sauvignon Blanc 2004 is almost startlingly clean, with a nose of cucumber, citrus, and minerals, and a full flavor like a lime that’s been cut with a steel knife. The finish is bigger than you might expect; there’s even a tiny hint of vanilla in the wine’s wake. But the overall experience is one of clear, sparkling water, tart fruit, and flinty soil.

My husband and I split a bottle last night while sitting outside on what probably was the last sultry night of the year. A perfect way to punctuate the end of summer.