Wine of the week: Angeline 2014 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc

Bill Batchelor said becoming a winemaker was a “happy accident.”

The accidental winemaker is behind the Press Democrat’s wine-of-the-week winner, the Angeline, 2014 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc at $15.

This sauvignon blanc is racy, with crisp acidity and tangy fruit. It has aromas and flavors of lime, mango and kiwi. It’s balanced, bright, lively and clean. It is striking and a smart buy, particularly at this price point.

Batchelor, 44, said he was taken by the allure of winemaking when he was a harvest intern at Preston of Dry Creek Valley in 1996. An anthropology major at the time, he said he had no intention of using his degree and was tiring of the “young filmmaker/artist hustle.”

While working at the Dry Creek Valley winery, Batchelor said he immediately fell in love with the mix of artistry, business and science involved in making wine.

“Along with a lot of hard, physical work, I got to see the inner workings of a small winery run by an especially passionate (vintner) Lou Preston,” Batchelor explained. “It was a perfect mix of old-world European aesthetic and genuine Northern California back-to-the-land eccentricity. I was hooked.”

He supplemented his Sonoma State University degree with occasional classes and seminars at UC Davis.

“Early on, I was given opportunities in positions which were over my head, but it forced me to adapt and learn quickly,” he said. “I was even the cider maker for ACE Cider, which taught me a lot about fermentation kinetics.”

Batchelor is the winemaker and general manager of the Angeline and Martin Ray brands. His winemaking team includes winemaker Lindsey Haghton, as well as consultants Dan Goldfield and Keith Emerson.

The house style Batchelor shoots for is a drinkable sauvignon blanc with bright acidity.

“It is medium-bodied and full of tropical, exotic fruit character,” Batchelor said. “It should taste like sauvignon blanc, but with well-rounded flavors.”

Achieving this house style takes some doing.

“For me, the biggest challenge is harvesting each vineyard at the perfect moment,” Batchelor said. “Sauvignon blanc seems less forgiving than other varieties. We want it to ripen sufficiently and push past the herbaceous/green zone and into a fully ripe fruit profile.”