Maybe
it’s the hot, humid weather of August, but lately I’ve
been finding myself drinking a lot of Sauvignon Blanc. This dry,
refreshing wine has always been one of my favorite whites. Its colors
range from faint chartreuse to pale straw to light brass. Its citrus,
vanilla, and melon flavors, especially when backed by good acidity,
seem to complement a wide array of warm-weather fare.
Sauvignon Blanc is grown in many wine areas of the world. Interestingly,
its grassy, herbaceous, and crisp characteristics are almost always
present regardless of where it is grown. (The name "Sauvignon" is
derived from the French "sauvage" meaning "wild.")
In France, we find the grape in the aromatic and fresh Sancerres
and Pouilly Fumes of the Loire Valley. Pouilly-Fume is the firmer,
drier and more elegant of the two and Sancerre is a little more fruity.
It’s also grown in Bordeaux, where it is often blended with
Semillon. Here, the grape is used to produce the more austere, dry
Graves and Entre-Deux-Mers as well as the flamboyant, decadent sweet
Sauternes.
In Italy, Sauvignon Blanc can be found at its best in the Northeast’s
Alto Adige, Friuli, and Veneto regions. These Sauvignons share the
grassy and herbaceous characteristics of their French counterparts
and are
quite quaffable.
New Zealand is also a major producer of Sauvignon Blanc. Here the
wine often tends to have undertones of tropical fruit—especially
when made in Marlborough. The best example of New Zealand Sauvignon
Blanc is Cloudy Bay, but it can be a little pricey.
In South America, Chile is also becoming known for its Sauvignon
Blanc, especially from the Casablanca Valley. Here, as almost everywhere
else, the wine is crisp and herbaceous, and quite often has a good
acidity.
Sauvignon Blanc is also popular among California wine makers, the
focus of this month’s feature, who occasionally label it “Fume
Blanc.” This alias was first used by Robert Mondavi as a marketing
tactic. Perhaps he thought it would have more appeal or would be
easier to pronounce. Again, the California versions are quite similar
to those produced in Europe--crisp, dry, and herbaceous, except that
occasionally a little oak is introduced. This may be an influence
from Bordeaux.
Sauvignon Blanc provides the perfect accompaniment for seafood, poultry
and white meats. It also makes an excellent apéritif as well
as a nice sipping wine on a warm afternoon or evening. When buying,
look for recent vintages. Sauvignon Blanc typically does not improve
with age. Because of its acidity, the wine should be served cold
between 45° and 50° to be enjoyed at its best. To reach this
temperature, give it about two hours in the refrigerator.
When tasting Sauvignon Blanc, look for a pale straw or brass color
maybe with some hints of green. The nose should be full, with herbaceous,
grassy, gooseberry aromas sometimes accompanied by vanilla, or tropical
fruits. On the palate, expect refreshing flavors of citrus and herbs
along with good acidity. If well made, the wine should also have
a good finish. Even in its most elegant incarnation, Pouilly-Fume,
this "wild" wine should not be wimpy.
For our tasting, we decided to focus exclusively on Sauvignon Blanc
from California. As is our custom, we first tasted the wines by themselves
and then with food. For our meal, we prepared simple grilled chicken
accompanied by grilled vegetables.
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2002
Bogle Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc, California ($9.99)
Very pale straw in color, with a slight tinge of green,
this wine has an attractive nose of grass and lemon zest
along
with
a hint of cream. Tart and crisp on entry, it's light bodied
yet still has a bit of unctuousness. Good acidity underscores
loads of tart-lemon and under-ripe-peach flavors. It has
good length and finishes nicely with peach and apricot notes.
Although it complemented the food, it was actually better
and more interesting on its own. Perhaps best served as an
aperitif.
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2002
Rock River, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley ($10.99)
Very pale straw in color, this wine has a reserved nose
of wet grass and fresh figs. Light bodied, it's monochromatic
and offers straightforward honeydew-melon flavors with adequate
acidity. The finish is consistent with the initial melon
flavor but
adds a touch of lemon citrus. "Not very exciting," commented
one taster. It was good with the food, and the acidity did
its
job of cutting through the fat.
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2001 Murphy-Goode,
Fume Blanc, Sonoma County ($11.99)
Pale straw in color, this wine has a classic nose of
cat's pee accompanied by some iris notes. Light bodied, with
good
acidity for food, it delivers floral flavors reminiscent
of iris. "It's
like drinking a
bouquet,"
remarked
one taster. The floral flavors are complemented eventually
by some mineral and grapefruit-pith notes. It has plenty
of length, and the finish is consistent with the initial
flavors. A nice aperitif wine. It was even better
with the food.
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2001
Santa Barbara Winery, Sauvignon Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley ($11.99)
This wine, made from a Musque clone of Sauvignon Blanc,
is pale gold in color and has a subdued, somewhat fleeting
nose of peach complemented by gooseberry notes. Medium bodied
and lush on the palate, it has an unctuous mouthfeel and
delivers sweet ripe-fig flavors along with some tart lemon
citrus. It's nicely structured with good acidity. The finish
is wonderful with fig and caramel notes. This wine seemed
to enhance the chicken.
The
first
star of
this tasting.
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2002
Ferrari-Carano, Fume Blanc, Sonoma County ($12.99)
Pale yellow in color, this wine has a subdued herbaceous
and lemon-grass nose. On the palate, it's medium bodied and
has an unctuous, smooth mouthfeel. Good acidity underlies
the wine's lemon-citrus flavors. There are some creamy notes
as well. There's plenty of length, and the wine finishes
with figs. It seemed less austere than a typical Sauvignon
Blanc. This wine was excellent with the chicken. Another
star of this tasting.
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2002
Robert Pecota Winery, L'Artiste Sauvignon Blanc, Monterey
County ($12.99)
Pale straw in color, this wine has a forward, gooseberry
and cat's-pee nose with a bit of pungency to it. Light to
medium bodied, it has a nice mouthfeel. The flavor is all
grapefruit-pith and lingers on the palate. There's good acidity
as well. It finishes nicely with
grapefruit notes and
a
hint of
spice. It
was
very good with the chicken. |
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2001 De
Sante, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley ($13.99)
Very clear, this wine is almost colorless. It
has an attractive, forward, classic Sauvignon Blanc nose
of gooseberry and
grass. Crisp on entry, it's light to medium bodied and slightly
unctuous. It delivers gooseberry and grapefruit-citrus flavors.
"It's distinctive," thought one taster. It has
plenty of length and finishes with tart grapefruit notes.
It was extraordinary
with the chicken, cutting through any fat. Another star of
this tasting.
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2002
Honig, Sauvignon Blanc,
Napa Valley ($14.99)
Pale straw in color with tinges of green, there's cat's
pee and gooseberry on the forward nose. It's light bodied
but packed with flavor. There's a counterpoint between tart-grapefruit
and ripe-peach notes. A Sauvignon Blanc with some complexity
to it. It's nicely structured with good acidity. It has a
good
finish that's consistent with the initial grapefruit and
peach flavors. The panel
was divided on this wine, however; some liked it more
than others. It was very good with the food.
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2001
Mason Cellars, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley ($16.99)
Pale yellow in color, this wine has an attractive, fairly
forward gooseberry nose. Light to medium bodied, it begins
with some rock-candy sweetness that is soon followed by silky
grapefruit flavors. It's nicely structured, with good concentration
and enough acidity for food. It has plenty of length and
finishes with melon and grapefruit. It's an elegant wine.
It was excellent
with the food. Yet another star of this tasting.
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2001
Voss Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley ($18.99)
Pale straw with some tinges of green, this wine has an
attractive, fruit-forward nose of peach, melon, and some
gooseberry. On the palate, it's medium bodied and packed
with gooseberry flavors supported by good acidity. There
are some honeydew flavors as well. The flavors linger, and
the wine finishes nicely with grapefruit-pith notes. It
complemented the food nicely.
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