Super Saturday Sauvignon Blanc Travelogue

 

 

A Sauvignon Travelogue-4 Countries/4 Wines

 

A superb selection of 4 Sauvignon Blancs from four corners of our round planet; New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and California.  Perfect Summertime thirst quenchers! Case of 4 wines, 3 bottles of each-$148.00 saves you $25 off S.R.P.

 

This will be fun.  We've selected four luscious, bright and thirst quenching splashes of Sauvignon Blanc from four distinct regions of the world known for producing some of the finest examples of this ambrosial variety.

 

You Silly Savage!

 

Sauvignon Blanc (literally translated as "wild" or "Savage" White) can be traced to France's Bordeaux region where (by law) it is the predominant grape variety in white Bordeaux, Sancerre, Entre Deux Mers and Pouilly-Fume'.  Depending on the climate in which it is grown as well as the way it is managed/trellised, SB can run the gamut between excessively grassy/kiwi/cat pee flavors and aromas to nuances of tropical fruit/peaches and figs.  In the late 1960s' Bob Mondavi decided to coin a variation of SB by aging the wine in oak barrels and calling the result "Fume' Blanc" (literally "smoke white") as an homage to France's Pouilly-Fume', a wine made from Sauvignon Blanc on the opposite side of the Loire River from Sancerre (and not to be confused with Pouilly-Fuisse' which is made from the Chardonnay grape).  Generally, Sauvignons labeled as Fume' Blanc see some time in wood (which can give the wine a round, smoky characteristic) however it is a discretionary decision made by the winemaker as to what their finished wine will be called and in the last decade "Fume' Blanc" has lost ground to "Sauvignon Blanc".

 

  One of the more famous California wineries to continue calling their wine Fume' Blanc is my winemaking Alma-Mater, Dry Creek Vineyards.  For decades, DCV has consistently made one of the finest examples in California hence it is the first wine in our little world tour.  (I've long given up trying to figure out why a winery called "Dry Creek" has a sailboat on every label)

 

*3-2006 Dry Creek Vineyards Fume' Blanc...Dry Creek's FB does NOT see any oak, it is stainless fermented (dry) at an average of 52 degrees for a month before bottling.  The 2006 vintage just won the annual "Oyster Award" competition (Best wines to pair with Oysters on the half shell held in L.A. S.F. and Seattle), highly recommended by the Connoisseur's Guide, the Wine Spectator and the Grapevine.  The 2006 strikes a balance between bright, crisp varietal character and mineral nuances. Aromas of cut grass, citrus lead to flavors of kiwi, lime and river stones. The finish is crisp and extremely food-friendly although the wine also makes a great "end of the day on the back deck" decompression refresher.

 

The Connoisseur's Guide says "One of our perennial favorites...the wine comes through again in 2006 with a fresh, fruity, lightly but distinctly grassy edition.  It has the zesty, incisive character to be right at home with both the lighter white fishes or with brothy bowl of Moules Mariniere".

 

A midnight flight into the skies of Antipodes...

 

*3 2007 Whitehaven Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc...Let's raise the Spinnaker and head down south of the Equator to New Zealand and one of our all-time favorite Marlborough Sauvignons, Whitehaven.  A New York Times affiliate described this wine as a "Rock star", and there's good reason to see it that way as a number of the original Cloudy Bay employees (winemaker/vineyard manager) defected to Whitehaven after the French buyout of that winery.  Cloudy Bay had long been considered the benchmark for Marlborough SB (and sells for over $25/Bottle) however I honestly feel that Whitehaven has eclipsed that icon in recent vintages.  Again, the Connoisseur's Guide:

 

"Exceeding most of its peers in fruit depth and complexity, this generous, rich wine is loaded with minerally and slightly grassy adjuncts to its outgoing melony fruit.  Medium-full in body and impeccably balanced, it is as long in flavor as it is outgoing in its inviting aromas.  It is not a wine for lovers of grassy Sauvignon but will make the rest of us quite happy indeed".  The Whitehaven is quintessential Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc; ripe, bright and sassy with wonderful flavors of ripe citrus, tropical fruit and a hint of delicious (not "hot") Jalapeno in the finish.

 

"When you see the Southern Cross for the first time..."

 

*3-Le Bonheur Sauvignon Blanc...We set the compass on a western course to head across the Indian Ocean to South Africa for our next splash of refreshing Sauvignon Blanc made at "Le Bonheur" ("The Happiness") a Stellenbosch winery founded in 1689 by those wild and wacky Huguenots after a FIVE FRICKING MONTH ocean crossing from the European continent. (Can you even imagine being on a leaky, creaky, smelly, rat infested, scurvy-laden, Mother Dog! sailing vessel for five months on the open sea? Yikes)...anyway, Stellenbosch is a wonderful region for growing SB and the Bonheur is a fine example.  The grapes for the 2007 (100% organically grown) were hand harvested in mid February (they're 5-6 months ahead of us down there) and immediately destemmed and crushed.

  The free-run juice was fermented between 12-14 degrees Celsius and left on the lees for 90 days to concentrate the flavor of the wine.  The Le Bonheur is a brilliant clear diamond color with a greenish tint.  Esters of tropical fruits, pink grapefruit, passion fruit and mango waft up from the surface; those odors carry through to the palate, particularly tropical fruit, ruby grapefruit, pineapple and kiwi; the finish is slippery, juicy and delicious.  A slight hint of residual sugar compels your hand to involuntarily reach for the glass and another sip.

 

"You were roundin' the horn in the eye of a storm..."

 

*3-2007 La Playa Chilean Sauvignon Blanc...We'll head west across the south Atlantic to challenge Cape Horn, arriving in Chile's Colchagua Valley for a few bottles of "La Playa" SB.  This property is located at the western end of the valley on the shores of Tinguiririca River near Lake Rapel; this estate enjoys a unique micro-climate blessed by the tempering effects of Pacific breezes.  The La Playa consistently makes the "Top 10 white wine values" in the WS annual survey and the 2007 recently won Gold, Best of Class at the "New World International Wine Competition". 

 

The La Playa is super ripe and bright with jump-out-of-the-glass aromas of honeydew melon, citrus, kiwi and fresh lemongrass; the flavors follow the nose adding lemon-lime notes and a refreshing, thirst quenching finish.  Another perfect pair-up with fresh shellfish, fowl or mild cheeses.

 

California, New Zealand, South Africa and Chile.  It would be fun to invite some like-minded people over (have THEM bring the vittles) and pull the corks (or screw caps) on a bottle each of these four wines for a taste-comparison.

 

Sauvignon Blanc Travelogue $148.00...What a Bargain!      

 

     

 

 

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