| Sauvignon Blanc Tasting Report |
When it comes to Sauvignon Blanc wine, the theme I keep
trying to hammer home over and over is just how great a
wine it is to pair with food. With that being said, what better
way to drive that point home then to hold our Sauvignon
Blanc wine tasting at a Thai restaurant in Plano called "Spice
Thai Cuisine". Thai food, with it's exotic spicy flavors and
unusually prepared cuisine, proves to be quite a challenge for
most wines to pair with, but our Sauvignon Blanc wines rose
up and met the occasion with flying colors.
Since Sauvignon Blanc comes in such wide array of styles and
flavors, we wanted to be sure try wines from as many regions
as possible. All together, we sampled nine wines from six
different countries. Two from France, two from California,
two from New Zealand, one from South Africa, one from
Chile and one, believe it or not, from Spain. I didn't even
know Spain grew Sauvignon Blanc.
France has long been the benchmark for great Sauvignon
Blanc wines, but in recent years, New Zealand has given
France quite a run for their money by making some truly
outstanding Sauvignon Blanc wines as well. With that being
said, it was no shock to us that the two wines that stood out
head and shoulders among the other wines came from these
two countries. The real shocker came in the third place spot.
At $6.99, the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from Spain was
almost a joke, but no'one was laughing when we revealed the
third place bottle from the bag. The South African bottle,
which was review by Wine Spectator in their latest issue also
had a strong fourth place showing.
Wine Director, Alex Morrow, from Beverage City on Preston
Rd. and Highway 121 helped me pick out most of the wines
and to his credit, he insisted that we try two Sauvignon Blanc
wines in particular, the Huia from New Zealand and the
Henri Bourgeois from France. As luck would have it, these
two wines were our top two scoring wines of the tasting. I
guess you could say that Alex must really know his
Sauvignon Blanc wines!
Here are the results!
trying to hammer home over and over is just how great a
wine it is to pair with food. With that being said, what better
way to drive that point home then to hold our Sauvignon
Blanc wine tasting at a Thai restaurant in Plano called "Spice
Thai Cuisine". Thai food, with it's exotic spicy flavors and
unusually prepared cuisine, proves to be quite a challenge for
most wines to pair with, but our Sauvignon Blanc wines rose
up and met the occasion with flying colors.
Since Sauvignon Blanc comes in such wide array of styles and
flavors, we wanted to be sure try wines from as many regions
as possible. All together, we sampled nine wines from six
different countries. Two from France, two from California,
two from New Zealand, one from South Africa, one from
Chile and one, believe it or not, from Spain. I didn't even
know Spain grew Sauvignon Blanc.
France has long been the benchmark for great Sauvignon
Blanc wines, but in recent years, New Zealand has given
France quite a run for their money by making some truly
outstanding Sauvignon Blanc wines as well. With that being
said, it was no shock to us that the two wines that stood out
head and shoulders among the other wines came from these
two countries. The real shocker came in the third place spot.
At $6.99, the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from Spain was
almost a joke, but no'one was laughing when we revealed the
third place bottle from the bag. The South African bottle,
which was review by Wine Spectator in their latest issue also
had a strong fourth place showing.
Wine Director, Alex Morrow, from Beverage City on Preston
Rd. and Highway 121 helped me pick out most of the wines
and to his credit, he insisted that we try two Sauvignon Blanc
wines in particular, the Huia from New Zealand and the
Henri Bourgeois from France. As luck would have it, these
two wines were our top two scoring wines of the tasting. I
guess you could say that Alex must really know his
Sauvignon Blanc wines!
Here are the results!
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| Huia Sauvignon Blanc 2003 - Marlborough, New Zealand |
Nose - Rich aromas of mangos touched off with
accents of freshly mown grass.
Taste - Cool & refreshing, with fantastic flavors
of tropical & citrus fruits with a long buzzing
finish.
This was clearly the head of the class. Part of the
reason it stood out so much was that it paired
brilliantly with the Thai food we were eating. A
great food wine and an excellent summer treat!
accents of freshly mown grass.
Taste - Cool & refreshing, with fantastic flavors
of tropical & citrus fruits with a long buzzing
finish.
This was clearly the head of the class. Part of the
reason it stood out so much was that it paired
brilliantly with the Thai food we were eating. A
great food wine and an excellent summer treat!
| Score A- |
| $18.99 |
| Henri Bourgeois "Petit Bourgeois" Sauvignon Blanc 2002 - Vin de Pays D'OC, France |
Nose - Endless fields of hay with a generous
helping of Asparagus.
Taste - A very dry white with sharp acidity.
Melon accents and a strong presence of green
apples.
This French Sauvignon Blanc is an excellent food
wine with great acidity. It would be perfect with
seafood and an ideal wine to cook with.
helping of Asparagus.
Taste - A very dry white with sharp acidity.
Melon accents and a strong presence of green
apples.
This French Sauvignon Blanc is an excellent food
wine with great acidity. It would be perfect with
seafood and an ideal wine to cook with.
| $13.99 |
| Score - B+ |
| Penascal Sauvignon Blanc 2002 - Spain |
Nose - Ripe pear and citrus fruits open up to the
nose.
Taste - This wine has a unique honeyed texture
with a graceful melon finish.
Cinderella crashed the party! Talk about a
shocker, I threw this wine in for laughs. Heck, I
didn't even know that Spain made Sauvignon
Blanc wines. Great price! A must with food with
an Asian flair.
nose.
Taste - This wine has a unique honeyed texture
with a graceful melon finish.
Cinderella crashed the party! Talk about a
shocker, I threw this wine in for laughs. Heck, I
didn't even know that Spain made Sauvignon
Blanc wines. Great price! A must with food with
an Asian flair.
| $6.99 |
| Score B |
| Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2002 - Stellenbosch, South Africa |
Nose - Fresh grass, fragrant lemons and a touch
of sweet pea.
Taste - Very lush and rich with a nice fat body. I
think all the components are in perfect harmony
with each other. Very flavorful with elements of
gooseberry, grass, lime and minerals.
The Wine Spectator recently reviewed this wine
in their May 15th issue and gave it a score of
"92". I too believed that it was very special, but
unfortunately a few Tasting Panel Members
disagreed. This was the first Sauvignon Blanc of
the night that I could picture without food.
Perhaps in the back of Ian's boat during the hot,
Texas summer.
of sweet pea.
Taste - Very lush and rich with a nice fat body. I
think all the components are in perfect harmony
with each other. Very flavorful with elements of
gooseberry, grass, lime and minerals.
The Wine Spectator recently reviewed this wine
in their May 15th issue and gave it a score of
"92". I too believed that it was very special, but
unfortunately a few Tasting Panel Members
disagreed. This was the first Sauvignon Blanc of
the night that I could picture without food.
Perhaps in the back of Ian's boat during the hot,
Texas summer.
| Score B |
| $19.99 |
| Rancho Zabaco "Dancing Bull" Sauvignon Blanc 2002 - Sonoma, California |
Nose - Lively apricots and apples followed by
trademark freshly mown grass.
Taste - A very interesting example of the varietal
with plenty of lime acidity, gooseberries and
accents of herbal grass.
Rancho Zabaco is a pretty dependable producer
of wines and this did not disappoint. I think that it
would lend itself very well to dishes with a bit of
heat and or Mexican flair.
trademark freshly mown grass.
Taste - A very interesting example of the varietal
with plenty of lime acidity, gooseberries and
accents of herbal grass.
Rancho Zabaco is a pretty dependable producer
of wines and this did not disappoint. I think that it
would lend itself very well to dishes with a bit of
heat and or Mexican flair.
| $8.99 |
| Score B |
| Patient Cottat MG "Vielles Vignes" 2001 - A.O.C. Sancerre, Loire, France |
Nose - Very green aromas of herbs, grass and
asparagus.
Taste - This wine started off with a bang showing
nice pineapple, citrus and herbal accents, but they
disappear rapidly on a very short finish.
This wine had no finish to speak of. All agreed
that it started off great, but left you feeling
empty. All in all though, it would be ideal with
seafood dishes.
asparagus.
Taste - This wine started off with a bang showing
nice pineapple, citrus and herbal accents, but they
disappear rapidly on a very short finish.
This wine had no finish to speak of. All agreed
that it started off great, but left you feeling
empty. All in all though, it would be ideal with
seafood dishes.
| Score B- |
| $14.99 |
| Forefathers Sauvignon Blanc 2002 - Marlborough, New Zealand |
Nose - Fresh mowed grass with a stong presence
of grapefruit and lime aromas.
Taste - A lush and creamy mouthfeel with mineral
spirits, loads of citrus, peach, tangerines, lime
and grapefruit.
At one time this was my favorite Sauvignon
Blanc. I still think it is great, but it was
out-classed by the top two in this tasting. Try it
with vegetables, chicken, seafood or salads.
of grapefruit and lime aromas.
Taste - A lush and creamy mouthfeel with mineral
spirits, loads of citrus, peach, tangerines, lime
and grapefruit.
At one time this was my favorite Sauvignon
Blanc. I still think it is great, but it was
out-classed by the top two in this tasting. Try it
with vegetables, chicken, seafood or salads.
| Score B- |
| $19.99 |
| Mason Sauvignon Blanc 2001 - Napa, California |
Nose - Fresh cut grass, tangy lime and a little
grapefruit.
Taste - Very acidic with a great bite to it.
Refreshing zesty lime and melon flavors.
I was expecting more from this wine. I had
served it "Blind" for a staff training and it was
met with rave reviews from everyone. This time
however, it failed to impress the Tasting Panel.
Still, it is full of flavor and very refreshing. Serve
it with all kinds of fowl.
grapefruit.
Taste - Very acidic with a great bite to it.
Refreshing zesty lime and melon flavors.
I was expecting more from this wine. I had
served it "Blind" for a staff training and it was
met with rave reviews from everyone. This time
however, it failed to impress the Tasting Panel.
Still, it is full of flavor and very refreshing. Serve
it with all kinds of fowl.
| Score B- |
| $15.99 |
| Penalolen Sauvignon Blanc 2002 - Casablanca Valley, Chile |
Nose - This almost colorless wine was very
closed with feint hints of musk and yellow apples.
Taste - Very neutral and thin bodied with subtle
traces of apples and celery.
For the most part, this wine was very uninspiring.
However, we all agreed that it would get our vote
for the coolest label!
closed with feint hints of musk and yellow apples.
Taste - Very neutral and thin bodied with subtle
traces of apples and celery.
For the most part, this wine was very uninspiring.
However, we all agreed that it would get our vote
for the coolest label!
| Score B- |
| $12.99 |