Neat Thoughts About Food, Wine, Travel & More
’09 Pazo Senorans
Although light in color, this wine from Rias Baixas is anything but that in bouquet and aroma. Party in a glass is what you get from the first sniff. Nose is vibrant and screams of honey, tropical notes with lemony undertones. The 2009 Pazo Senorans Albarino is intense, creamy and well-balanced with an enjoyable crisp finish.
Around $20.
2006 St Supery Virtu
Virtu is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (52%) and Semillon (48%). This wine offered a juicy mouthful of peach with an enjoyable mineral finish. This rich, medium-bodied wine would be great with grilled scallops and a slightly oily grilled fish.
Pairings: Fish, seafood, especially seared scallops
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): 52% Sauvignon Blancm 48% Semillon
Region: Napa Valley, CA, USA
Price: $27
Honig Late Harvest
Had the pleasure of sampling this wine at the Honig Vineyards and absolutely loved it. The nose on this luscious wine is pure honey and the look of it is syrupy and golden.
The 2007 Honig Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc is a mouthful of succulent sweet melon, dried apricot and rich caramel panna cotta. Great acidity and minerality for this type of wine. Aged in new French oak, this dessert wine’s alcohol level is 11%.
Great, great dessert wine.
Pairings: Cheese plate drizzled with honey, custard-based desserts
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Napa Valley, CA, USA
Price: $50
I’ve tasted and liked the 2008 Honig Sauvignon Blanc in the past, but I recently sampled it again during a Sauvignon Blanc tasting and really enjoyed how different it was compared to the others. Here are three things I appreciated about this wine:
’08 Honig Sauvignon Blanc
1) It is medium-bodied, which I miss in many other Sauvignon Blancs in this price range.
2) As the wine warmed a bit, I got a big mouthful of chewy mango and tons of other tropical fruits.
3) The finish is pleasantly long with bouncy citrusy notes.
I typically think of Sauvignon Blanc for warm Summer parties where a refreshing, uncomplicated wine is de rigueur, but the ’08 Honig would also be perfect with a roasted pork chop in the middle of Winter.
Note: 89 points Robert Parker
Pairings: Fish, seafood, especially seared scallops
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Napa Valley, CA, USA
Price: $15.99
’07 Dog Point
Not the limeade-watery Sauvignon Blanc typical of many affordable bottles. This wine from Marlborough, New Zealand, is medium to full-bodied and offers pleasantly intense herbal and ripe fruit flavors. This wine has a longish finish and some texture to it.
For fans of Cloudy Bay, this is perhaps a better wine and a must-try.
Pairings: Fish, seafood, especially seared scallops
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Marlborough, New Zealand
Price: $20
2008 Hirsch Gruner Veltliner
Sampled this wine as part of a tasting menu at Bouley last weekend. For those of you who enjoy fresh and crisp Gruner Veltliner, this is a good rendition. This Weingut Hirsch wine has a citrus, apple, herbal aroma that had me sniffing for several minutes before taking a first sip. This wine offers a mouthful of juicy fruit that’s incredibly food-friendly. The finish was smooth with just a trace of pepper.
Around $23.
This food-friendly Sauvignon Blanc was rated 91 by Wine Spectator and deserves the honor. It has a well-balanced level of acidity and is pleasantly dry. There’s a brightness about the 2008 Provenance Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc that’s vibrant with peach – tropical fruit – lemon flavors and hints of minerals.
Paired well with apple, grilled cheese and with shrimp.
Pairings: Fish, seafood, especially seared scallops
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Napa Valley, CA, USA
Price: $17
2008 Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
I’ve purchased this Kim Crawford wine several times for casual dinners where I didn’t want to spend a ton of money but still wanted to enjoy a decent glass of wine. I wasn’t disappointed again last night when I uncorked, um, unscrewed, another bottle.
We paired this bottle with Thai food and found that it cut through the heat of the dishes well. I typically buy Rieslings to pair with spicy food, but this Sauvignon Blanc stood up to the heat and provided a refreshing pale green mouthful of grassy lime. I agree with the following review:
“Fragrant and complex, with a refreshing burst of lime, guava, grapefruit and grass flavors,” wrote Wine Spectator, awarding it 91 points. “Wet stone, passion fruit and oyster shell accents add interest, with bright acidity highlighting the vivid finish. Another outstanding Sauvignon from a perennial success. Drink now.”
For about $14 a bottle, this is a solid buy. Pairs well with spicy foods, would be great with a light fish or with chicken, and can be found at most wine stores across the country.
Pairings: Fish, seafood, especially seared scallops
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Marlborough, New Zealand
Price: $14
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