“Sometimes hath the brightest day a cloud;
And after summer evermore succeeds
Barren winter, with its wrathful nipping cold;
So cares and joys abound, as seasons fleet,”
William Shakespeare, Henry VI
New Zealand is halfway between the equator and the South Pole, and in the mid ’80’s appeared on serious radar, primarily because of its Sauvignon Blanc. Between 1994 and 1998, New Zealand’s winemakers grew from 31 to 293 as the industry was regarded as yet another frontier for wine.
Twenty grape varieties are grown in New Zealand, among them Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, both of which flourish and strut their stuff for the cool and steady temperatures in conjunction with the long growing season.
Years ago, I tried a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc named Cloudy Bay (costing around $20 then) and I was blown away by its heady intensity. “Why can’t this be grown around the world?” I speculated. Actually,many countries and winemakers had already become similarly smitten by this crisp grape that balances its performance on the palate with a shy dash of richness that makes it chemically correct with seafood, chicken and simple outdoor conviviality.
Robert Mondavi in California embraced Sauvignon Blanc quickly (followed by Charles F. Shaw) coining the term Fume Blanc. What a fetching term and marketing move by a California winemaking pioneer!
I’ve recently found that there are other talented and compelling Sauvignon producers who can handily provide a pleasant and palatable experience without being too pricey. Here are my thoughts and tasting notes on an interesting cluster of Sauvignon Blancs that are available locally. As a “control,” I’ve included one Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc:
1. Cloudy Bay, 2010, New Zealand, $19.99 (Egad – this is my last one from my cellar, and I’m regarding it as a “sacrifice hit.”) Clear white with medium-heavy body. Deeply intoxicating nose (despite its age) of butterscotch, a tad of wheat, melon, pear, Granny Smith apple and a whisper of yeast. In the mouth, subtle fruit richly dances with more butterscotch and a light lick of acid. Clean finish. A-
2. Honig, 2010, Napa Valley, California, $16. Clear white with heavy body. Rich nose with herbal spices overlaid on flowers and clover. On the palate, it was light and barely sweet with gentle hints of more flowers that driftedinto a lightly acidic finish. Nice! A
3. Pierpaolo Pecorari, 2009, Italy, IGT, $17. Pale yellow with heavy body. The nose presented light butterscotch balanced with lightly deep lemon. I tasted more pronounced butterscotch along with a light kiss of oak. Clean, pleasant finish. A-
4. Ventisquero Reserva, 2010, Casablanca Valley, Chile, $12. Off-white color with medium-heavy body. The nose was initially emphatic with notes of ripe fig overlaid on light grassiness, but that mellowed with a bit of time. On the palate, more grassy notes played with light fruit and eased into a gentle finish. B+
5. Quincy, 2000, Domaine Pierre Duret, Loire Valley, France, $16. Creamy vanilla hue with cloyingly heavy body. The nose was complex and deely satisfying with teases of grassiness and light pineapple. In the mouth, I enjoyed light butterscotch laced with a hint of acid, which trailed offinto an elegant finish. A-
6. Sincerely, 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa, $12. Slightly yellow with heavy body. Moving to the nose, I picked up barely awkward hints of grapefruit and grassiness. On the palate, I found it to be lightly sweet with pleasant hints of butterscotch leading into a lightly elegant finish. B+
Today’s clear winner was the Honig, which beat my Cloudy Bay.
I awarded the Price/Value award to the Sincerely (in all sincerity).
