2023 Sentium, Continuum Estate

We first heard about this project in 2023 but had to wait two years to taste the wine. Expectations were high among the Flint team but 2023 Sentium exceeded them. The nose is smoky and herbaceous, with lemon zest and tangerine aromas. Sentium hails from two high-elevation parcels in Mendocino – two of the oldest parcels of Sauvignon Blanc in California; one from the Sixties, the other planted in 1942. That old vine concentration comes to bear on the palate which combines mountain-fresh acidity with a juicy, voluminous mouth-feel. The 2023 contains just 1% Semillon, and was raised for 9 months sur lees in equal parts neutral oak, concrete and steel tanks. The finish is precise, saline and moreish in the best traditions of Fumé Blanc – a category invented by none other than Robert Mondavi.