Bottling Purity: The Charles Krug Approach to Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Generations Red

Charles Krug’s Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Generations Red Blend shine with a focus on purity, precision and legacy.

Charles Krug is Napa Valley’s oldest winery.

At Charles Krug, winemaking isn’t about showcasing technique.

It’s about letting the grape speak for itself and crafting a wine to be enjoyed with family and loved ones over a meal or during a quiet moment.

Nowhere is that more evident than in the Charles Krugh Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2023 ($23), a wine co-proprietor Peter Mondavi Jr. calls “one of the few where the winemaker steps into the background completely.”

“We’re just trying to bottle the grape,” he says. “We don’t want a Chardonnay wannabe. We don’t want to hide or diminish what makes Sauvignon Blanc special.”

Inspired by the resurgence of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in the late '90s, Charles Krug resumed production in 1997 and adopted techniques like night harvesting and reductive fermentation. Both method are designed to protect and elevate the grape’s naturally vivid aromatics.