I finally visited the Petaluma Gap, a premier vineyard spot and the newest American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Sonoma County linked by the Pacific Ocean and San Pablo Bay. A few weeks earlier, I tasted a 2017 Mirror Petaluma Gap Chardonnay ($48), so now I was able to connect the area where the grapes grow in a cool climate, thanks to the constant sea breeze. I enjoyed the top note of honey in this chardonnay, but my palate was still swooning over the 2018 Mirror Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($28).

I tasted these Mirror wines in Napa, inside the Kitchen Collective, where membership has its privileges of allocated spaces for tastings — great for a winery that doesn’t have a tasting room. Note: reservations required.

About that sauvignon blanc, though…Using 20 percent used French oak, this sauvignon blanc is a robust, full-bodied, but balanced gem of a wine made from grapes grown in a dry farming technique (no vines are irrigated after fruit set – when tiny grapes appear) for freshness and high acidity. It doesn’t hurt to use grapes grown in Rutherford dust and clay soil – and to pair these grapes with the winemaking style of Kirk Venge.

Mirror Wines began over a decade ago, when Notre Dame “Golden Boy” Rick Mirer, an Indiana native and well-known football player for the Seattle Sea Hawks, 49ers and Raiders, took his wife on a visit to Napa Valley. Once retired, he considered what his next project would be and came up with Mirror Wines. Today, Mirer resides with his family in San Diego, but he makes it a point to visit Napa Valley at least every month.

Mirror’s red wines reflect grapes sourced from Howell Mountain and Oak Knoll. I can attest that his approximate 240 case production of 2016 Mirror Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain “Pre-Release” ($110, to be released in October) scores a touchdown. This deep berry, black currant cabernet sauvignon with black licorice and tobacco notes offers a lovely tannin structure for aging.

Visit www.mirrorwine.com for more information.