2014 Ancient Peaks Paso Robles Sauvignon Blanc

Green-tinged yellow. Tightly wound citrus fruit and floral aromas unfold slowly picking up a hint of candied ginger. Taut and linear on the palate, offering bitter lemon and lime zest and pear skin flavors, plus a touch of anise. Closes on a tangy note, with good lift and citrus bite. Most of the Ancient Peaks wines are priced for a large target audience at what are very low tariffs for the region, but the rest are solidly at the high end, with not much in between. All of the wines, which are made by Mike Sinor (Sinor-LaVallee), have been solid in recent years and occasionally outstanding, with the entry-level bottlings often delivering excellent bang for the buck. (JR)