Markham's Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc: The Sleek Sophistication

Send us a text

Unexpected wine bargains are emerging across the market, and our latest discovery proves that premium quality doesn't always demand premium pricing. The Markham Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2022 typically commands around $25, but we tracked it down for significantly less during a flash sale, opening a window into what happens when historic winemaking meets value opportunity.

This elegant white comes from a property with roots stretching to the mid-1800s, revitalized when Bruce Markham acquired it in 1973. While their Merlot earned them early recognition, this Sauvignon Blanc reveals equal mastery. What distinguishes Markham beyond their centuries-old heritage is their pioneering role in female leadership – both production and vineyard teams are women-led, breaking Napa's glass ceiling long before diversity became industry standard.

The wine itself defies typical Sauvignon Blanc expectations. Unlike its grassy New Zealand relatives or mineral-driven French counterparts, Markham's expression shows remarkable restraint and sophistication. Subtle notes of melon, dried anjou pear, apple and muted tropical fruits are complemented by interesting spice components. Most striking is the wine's elegant texture, impressive length, and refined acidity – qualities that typically separate everyday bottles from premium offerings. When our winemaker friend from Burgundy states that "great acidity and excellent length" represent the highest compliment, this bottle effortlessly achieves both benchmarks.

Current market conditions have created a fascinating phenomenon where even premium producers are offering significant discounts through flash sales. We encourage you to stay vigilant with your local wine merchants – established wineries that rarely discount are suddenly appearing at dramatically reduced prices. Whether you find Markham at sale pricing or its standard retail cost, it represents the perfect "next step" for Sauvignon Blanc enthusiasts looking to experience what happens when a winemaker with 25+ years of experience crafts an estate-grown white from one of the world's premier wine regions. Have you discovered any unexpected wine bargains lately? Share your finds in the comments!

Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.com

or email us at [e-mail]

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, welcome to Stillman Dave Cheap Wine
findercom.
We've got a little bit of adifferent wine here to talk
about today.
It's a wine that normally is alittle bit out of our, you know,
we usually do under $20.
And actually I bought it under$20, but you typically can find
it closer to $25.
It is the Markham Anapa ValleySauvignon Blanc 2022.

(00:29):
The Markham property has a longhistory in Anapa Valley.
It was originally a winery inthe 1800s, like the mid-1800s,
and Bruce Markham purchased theproperty in 1973, I believe, and
released his first wine in 77,if I'm not mistaken, and they

(00:51):
quickly became an elite Merlotproducer.
If you're looking for NapaValley Merlot, they're not a bad
choice.
I'm going to take a sip.
The winemaker has been with thecompany since 1993's.

(01:26):
In both the.
The production and the vineyardteam is dominated by women and
led by women, which is they'rekind of proud of that in the
Napa Valley.
They were the first you know,the first one to kind of break
the glass ceiling there.
Nowadays women in wine is kindof common, but they were doing
it before it was common, andthey have a wine team dominated

(01:49):
by female female professionalsnot that I ever can tell the
difference between a male or afemale line.
That's not really the point, Iguess.
So this isn't really nice whenit turns out.
I had never.
Grapes do make a really nicewine.
It turns out high in napa.
Grapes do make a difference.
This wine does not taste likethe lower valley in France.

(02:12):
It does not taste like NewZealand.
There is a calmness to it, asubtleness to it.
It's smooth, it's sleek.
It's smooth, it's sleek, it'sum.

(02:35):
Let me take a sip and we canmaybe get a little more in
detail.
It's got length.
You know, um, I always tellthis story.
We're talking to, uh, french,uh, winemakers from burgundy.
If, if you tell them the wine'sgot great acidity and excellent
length, they're so happybecause that's what they're
looking for.
Well, this wine's got excellentacidity and great length.
The flavors are maybe somemelon, maybe some tropical fruit

(03:01):
muted.
Nothing jumps out, nothing'sgrassy.
You got anju pear, not ripejuicy pear.
Tropical fruit muted nothingjumps out the nothing's grassy.
You got hands.
You pair not.
You know not ripe juicy pearsmore than drier pears.
Apple lemon, interesting spice.
It stays with you, stays withyour pal.
It's got good acidity.

(03:22):
It does, it's not.
I sometimes like that kind of acity that makes you want to take
another sip.
But I actually think that is alittle bit too much acidity.
A well-made wine probablyshouldn't do it, but it's awful
fun when it does happen, wherewhere you're just sipping it
because the acidity is like it'slike lemonade on a hot day.
This is not this.

(03:42):
This is more elegant than that.
And it's not because of thesnap of belly that I think it's
elegant.
No, it's just because it hasthat sleekness, that length that
you don't always get.
Value price wines are usuallyreally tasty but you don't
always get some of the extras onthat.

(04:03):
You don't always get the greatlength you don't always get.
You get good acidity but youdon't get the next level of
acidity you don't get.
And it's not because it'sbecause they got to make a wine
for a price.
And if you got to make adecision, go for flavor.
I always say we can takeanother sip of this.

(04:29):
And why did I find it for $10off?
And it was a one-day flash saleat one of our hipper local.
You know, actually they'refairly large wine shops and
there's been wine problems withwine all over the world and
there's been like hey, you knowbargains here and bargains there
and moving wine that haven'tbeen moving and good wines

(04:51):
aren't moving.
It's not just the dogs aren'tgoing, everything has been so
there's.
Keep an eye out, watch yourstores.
There's going to be like flashsales, where you go in there and
all of a sudden you see crazywines.
I just read something aboutCostco and not all Costco's
habit, but a like a storiedwinery that's usually sells for

(05:15):
30 or 40 bucks or selling theirwine in Costco for $10.
And it was.
It wasn't advertised, but ithappens.
Keep an eye out.
This is a Markham vineyards,napa Valley, and it's a.
You know, it's one of theirestates, but the other wine and
I can't keep, I can't rememberthe arm, the name of the
vineyard, because this one's alittle cannon.

(05:35):
The other one's a carpentervineyard, but that's, that's a
state vinegar for somebody else.
So you're getting a state wherethey control everything.
You're getting a winemakerwho's been doing this for 25
years and knows the grapesinside and out and knows every
conceivable wine or weather.
Was it hot?
Was it cold?
Was it partly hot, partly cold?
You know, it's all those thingsand you get it in your glass,

(06:01):
which is what good wine is allabout.
Let me take another sip andclose this one up.
If you're looking for or maybenot looking for, but you really
like Sauvignon Blanc, and maybeyou're interested in what's the

(06:22):
next step, well, the MarkhamNapa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2022
is a good entry to that nextstep.
It is quality Sauvignon Blanc,well-made, even at the original
price.
I've seen it on the Internet aslow as $18.

(06:44):
I've got what was it like?
$14?
$4 is a good price to make, butit's usually over $10 off.
This is the next step.
Give it a try.
So, adios, keep it cheap.
Domain day forcheapwinefightercom.
I've got two other wines fromthe same sale, so we're going to

(07:05):
be talking about a little bitmore expensive wines going
cheaper and some good thoughtson what to buy.
So I'll be talking to you in aday or two.
Bye-bye.