2019 Andis Sauvignon Blanc Sierra Foothills 750 ml

Of course our favorite winemaking duo notched the highest-rated Sierra Foothills Sauvignon Blanc of the vintage. 100-point consultant Philippe Melka and his Director of Winemaking Mayaan Koschitzky, a veteran of California’s most elite estates—Screaming Eagle and Dalla Valle—can do no wrong at this member-favorite winery in Amador County. 

Showing the deep-fruited clarity and sun-kissed brilliance of one of the hottest winegrowing regions in California, the 2019 Andis Sauvignon Blanc shines with ripe guava, white nectarine, and a sea of yellow flowers. It offers the balanced richness and mouthwatering Meyer lemon acidity of a wine that refuses just one sip, or even one bottle, and at today’s price, there’s absolutely no need to hold back. 

Pop this amongst friends—and a plate of seafood risotto—and flaunt its vintage-leading pedigree. No one will have a clue it’s an incredible value. 

Grown atop decomposed granite soils, the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc demonstrates exactly why Amador county has become a hotspot for in-the-know winemakers in search of premium grapes at superb prices—A-list estates like Favia (run by the eminent Andy Erickson and Annie Favia), Keplinger, and Turley all source some of their favorite grapes here. 

The combination of sun-drenched, high-elevation sites and well-draining soils produces wines with extra finesse, tension, and energy—perfect for Sauvignon Blanc—and relative to Napa Valley and Sonoma, Amador County offers unparalleled value. 

Having accomplished almost everything possible in Napa—their current client list includes heavyweights Quintessa, Vineyard 29, Dana Estates, and Seavey, to name just a few—it was only natural that superstar winemakers Philippe Melka and Mayaan Koschitzky wanted to get in on the action in Amador County. 

When the duo agreed to work with Andis Wines, they engineered the winery equivalent of a Marine Corp about-face. Seeking to increase freshness and complexity in the finished wines, they brought in brand new equipment, improved protocols, and made farming adjustments that drove up acidity and pushed back on sugars and ripeness.

Just four years later, their hard work has already yielded an extraordinary Sauvignon Blanc at the top of its class. As Wine Enthusiast wrote in its review, the 2019 is “ripe, rounded and full bodied,” offering “flavors that are especially mouthfilling,” yet “well balanced.” 

Our favorite winemaking duo has done it again.