Sémillon from Sonoma

Saxon Brown Sémillon Alexander Valley Cricket Creek 2007
James Laube
Posted: February 18, 2009

California winery Saxon Brown makes consistently appealing wines across several varietals and occasionally turns out a showstopper, like the outstanding 2005 Parmerlee Hill Vineyard Syrah grown in Sonoma Valley. So when I saw a bottle of the winery's 2007 Alexander Valley Sémillon from Cricket Creek for $28 on the wine list where I was having lunch the other day, I didn't hesitate to order it.

Rich, balanced, exhibiting ripe fig and tangerine flavors, it had the right dash of acidity to keep the ripe Sémillon fruit fresh and lively. As we drank the wine, it struck me that Sonoma's Alexander Valley is so versatile when it comes to grapes, whether it's Cabernet, Chardonnay, Zinfandel or Sémillon. Just about anything grows well there. 89 points, non-blind.

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