United States of Wine

Jax Vineyards – Y3 – Sauvignon Blanc – 2023

Purchased: Jax Vineyards Tasting Room – San Francisco, California

Price: $20

FULL DISCLOSURE: I already knew I was a fan of this wine and am part of the wine club. But it was my surprise at how I felt about this American wine that inspired this blog.

Sauvignon Blanc is my favorite white wine. It’s perfectly dry, with delicious flavor, no matter where around the world it comes from. So, as meandered through San Francisco before a Giants game, a sign bearing my nickname caught my attention—more so because it also mentioned wine.

At this point, I was weary of any American wine, having it only at conferences or when visiting my sister and drinking her mass-produced options. But as we entered the San Francisco Tasting Room for Jax Vineyards, I had held on to some hope of at least killing some time.

Let me tell you reader, I was so pleasantly surprised by their Sauvignon Blanc that I signed up for their membership, as I would not be able to find their wine on the East Coast. So this review is based off the bottle of wine that arrived on my doorstep.

Jax’s Y3 Collection is a nod to the symbol of the family’s cattle ranching legacy. They make a variety of wines on their vineyard, but I was disappointed to learn that their sauvignon blanc was sourced from another part of California, and not at their own farm in Napa Valley. Maybe I just really wanted to love something they made with their own hands from scratch, from their own dirt.

This wine is light, both in color and flavor. It’s almost clear, which I’ve learned is something many California Sauvignon Blancs share. The tartness from the pear flavor is so faint, that this is such an easy-drinking wine. As my partner said, “It makes me want to drink the whole bottle myself.”

Any scent gave me the feeling of something “new.” Like new clothes or a newly unwrapped box, or walking into a new home. The wine is fermented in concrete tanks, I later learned, which could play into its soft scent.

With food, and after the wine got a little bit warmer, the tartness of the pear flavor went away, and I was able to taste a hint of ripe banana that played along with the smooth pear. This was definitely a different feel from other Sauvignon Blancs I’ve had. It didn’t have the limey rocky taste of New Zealand, or the mineral flavor of a white Bordeaux.

But it’s soft flavor could also be considered weak by others who prefer a more robust Sauvignon Blanc. My partner chewed on a strawberry Starburst candy before taking a sip, and he noticed how the wine did nothing to wash away the candy flavor, or even change it. But the softness is what I loved about it. It was delicate. It was good.

But this wine is missing out on a full 10 because the grapes are grown elsewhere. If you’re looking for a clean, refreshing and crisp Sauvignon Blanc (and are the western side of the United States), try this wine. I’d love to know what you think!

P.S.: The Giants lost that game to the Diamondbacks.

Score: 9.5/10