St. Supéry Estate is the place to sip Sauvignon Blanc
Chardonnay remains Napa Valley’s top-selling white wine, but in recent years, Sauvignon Blanc has stepped out of the shadows to steal the spotlight. While many wineries have added Sauvignon Blanc to their lineups to capitalize on its growing popularity, St. Supéry had a decadeslong head start. The Rutherford winery still shows the bandwagoners how it’s done with its complex and juicy wines.
The story
Third-generation French vintner Robert Skalli dreamed of creating a prestigious Napa Valley wine estate, so in 1982, he bought a 1,500-acre cattle ranch in the region’s northeastern mountains and planted a vineyard. He named it Dollarhide Ranch after the previous owner and dedicated the property to growing Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.Soon after, Skalli purchased a winery estate in Rutherford and, in 1989, opened St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery. The producer entered a new chapter in 2015, when Skalli sold it to Chanel, Inc. — yes, that Chanel, of fashion house fame — which also owns winery estates in Bordeaux.
Today, the winery farms nearly 600 acres of estate vineyards, including 200 acres of Sauvignon Blanc at Dollarhide Ranch and another 42 acres on a newly acquired Rutherford property. Certified Napa Green for its winery and vineyards, St. Supéry is a gold-level member of the International Wineries for Climate Action.
The vibe
You might expect a winery owned by a legendary Paris fashion house to look like a fancy-pants chateau, but St. Supéry is not ostentatious. The boxy, concrete-hued building is mostly embellishment-free, aside from black-and-white striped awnings and a few bistro tables out front.
Inside, the atmosphere is decidedly more stylish. There’s a tasting bar on the main floor, but most experiences take place on the second level. The modern, sunlit space features various seating options, from a tasting bar to contemporary lounge setups, plus an art gallery with rotating exhibits. Through a large window, visitors can glimpse the winery’s production area below.
On the palate
The consistent quality of St. Supéry’s wines owes much to the longevity of its winemaking team. Vice president of winemaking Michael Scholz joined in 1996, and winemaker Brooke Shenk came on a decade later, in 2006.
Tasting Sauvignon Blanc is a must at St. Supéry, and the winery makes four versions to explore. The 2023 Dollarhide Estate Cold Concrete Fermented Sauvignon Blanc ($42) is bright and citrusy, with juicy pink grapefruit notes that linger. The 2023 Dollarhide Estate Sauvignon Blanc ($42), fermented in stainless steel and French oak, has a creamier texture, with a whiff of toasted marshmallow and fresh grapefruit on the palate.
Red wine fans won’t be disappointed, either. During a recent visit, I gravitated to the 2019 Dollarhide Estate Malbec ($70). With a dark, inky color and black-plum flavors, the wine walks the line between power and elegance.
Along with food-pairing experiences like the four-course Taste of the Estate ($148) and Mustard Season Tasting Flight ($92), the winery hosts two appealing options at $46 each: the Winemaker’s Selection and White Wine Discovery.
Beyond the bottle
Dollarhide Ranch isn’t just home to hundreds of acres of grape vines. It’s also a peach farm, with 70 varieties and 1,200 trees. The fruit is used to make varietally labeled jams, which are available for sale in the tasting room while they last. I like to swirl the jams into plain Greek yogurt. The ranch also grows apple trees for the winery’s tasting-room-only hard cider.
St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery, 8440 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; reservations recommended on weekends. stsupery.com
Tina Caputo is a wine, food, and travel journalist who contributes to Sonoma magazine, SevenFifty Daily, Visit California, Northern California Public Media, KQED, and more. Follow her on Bluesky at @winebroad.bsky.social, view her website at tinacaputo.com, and email her story ideas at tina@caputocontent.com.