Review: Flora Springs 2023 Soliloquy and 2021 Trilogy
Flora Springs may be an old school label — its been around for 45 years — but don’t say this brand can’t learn new tricks. Flora Springs began what it describes as an “evolution” in 2019, selling off its old buildings and transitioning to a smaller winery with a more focused approach to winemaking. With the 2021 Trilogy, the first wines from this transition have now arrived.
Here we look at the new Trilogy — complete with new label — as well as the new 2023 release of Soliloquy, Flora Springs’ high-end white blend. Spoiler alert: The changes Flora Springs have made are on point.
2023 Flora Springs Soliloquy Napa Valley – 85% sauvignon blanc, 8% malvasia, 7% chardonnay. This ultra-floral white pours on notes of jasmine and honeysuckle, then follows it up with apricots and Meyer lemon. The skeptic in me assumed there was a healthy amount of viognier in this wine, it’s so flowery and heady, but apparently that’s not the case. Intensely aromatic, the lemon notes fade into lime leaf with a little time, leaving the bowl of the glass filled with perfume. Very little here telegraphs sauvignon blanc to me. It’s almost biting on the finish, with a lightly bitter touch that feels like it needs a reprise of some (less acidic) fruit to balance things out. B+ / $70
2021 Flora Springs Trilogy Napa Valley – 85% cabernet sauvignon, 10% petit verdot, 5% malbec. A vibrant textbook example of what Napa Valley cabernet-based blend should taste like. Beautiful layers of sweet currants and plum and kept in check by well-defined tannins, folding in notes of rhubarb, green olives, and anise. Enduring spices cling to the plum notes as the wine develops and give the finish a lightly wintry feel, showcasing baking spices and warming gingerbread notes. Never heavy in the slightest — at 14.2% abv it’s actually on the light side for Napa cabs — it rumbles toward a light mocha quality on its expressive and enduring finish. One to pick up now and save for the holidays. A / $110
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