2010 Jean-Paul Picard Sancerre David Honig July 3, 2011 Tasting Notes The nose is very nice. Cut grass, lime, citrus flowers, and ginger, plus a touch of nutmeg, form a complex collection of aromas that offers several minutes of pleasure before the first sip. Tart citrus is more pronounced on the palate, but all the others flavors remain. The ginger is the most significant secondary flavor, like a lemon pie with a ginger snap crust. Some leafy herbs and grass show up on the mid-palate. The lemon comes back and lingers on the finish. Drink with garlic crabs. Highly recommended.
2010 Goldwater Sauvignon Blanc Gary Thomas June 13, 2011 Tasting Notes 1 Comment A lovely Kiwi exemplar of Sauvignon Blanc. Green apples, some pear on the nose. Luscious ripe citrus fruit on the palate, predominantly grapefruit. Not grassy as many others but still has that nice desired touch of minerality. The acids support the fruit nicely, and the package segues into a languid finish. Try with simple shellfish. Highly recommended.
2010 le Jaja de Jau Ben Sauvignon Blanc David Honig June 7, 2011 Tasting Notes 2 Comments The nose is very aromatic, offering up tropical white flowers, sweet pink grapefruit, and a very light touch of gooseberry. The flavors tend more to citrus on the palate, lemons and white grapefruit lead the attack, adding white flowers and starfruit on the mid-palate. A distinct minerality and salinity underlie all the flavors, from start through the finish. A very strong backbone of acid runs through the wine, giving it very clean, bright flavors and the ability match up to the heaviest foods. Drink it with stuffed flounder. Highly Recommended.
2010 Twomey Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc Becky Sue Epstein June 5, 2011 Tasting Notes 1 Comment What an elegant bottle, clear and stylishly designed! When opened, the aromas are lightly herby, grassy and floral. The wine has a medium body, with a touch of honey on the end palate. The flavors are a bit more round than purely crisp, possibly due to the “touch of oak” during vinification, which moderates the presence of the acidity. The finish is not too dry. A mild and easy to drink wine. Recommended.
2008 Château Smith Haut-Lafitte David Honig May 26, 2011 Tasting Notes 1 Comment This white Bordeaux spent 12 months in 50% new barrels. The nose was shy, the color almost clear. On the palate it was subtle and soft, offering tropical fruit on the attack, getting tart as it lingered on the palate, but never overpowering. Acids are not prevalent, so drink it now, with garlic crab. Recommended.
2010 Trisaetum Sauvignon Blanc Ryan Reichert May 5, 2011 Tasting Notes The first foray for this producer from Pinot Noir and Riesling—and just in time for summer. Bright, medium intensity golden color. Clean on the nose and incredibly aromatic—jumps out of the glass—bright grapefruit, pineapple, green apple, fresh herbs, and the sweet smell of freshly cut grass in the summer. Medium-high acidity on the palate, but with a lot of fruit sweetness. Clean flavors including pineapple, mango, Granny Smith apple, peach, grapefruit, watermelon rind, lime zest, herbs, and grass. Pair with grilled summer vegetables, scallops in cream sauce, or citrus glazed pork loin. Highly recommended.
2009 Pullus Sauvignon Blanc Becky Sue Epstein April 27, 2011 Tasting Notes 1 Comment Having tasted through several of the current vintage of Pullus wines, I was pleased to find this 2009 Sauvignon Blanc. Other Pullus wines seemed to wander back and forth between traditional (AKA old-fashioned) and modern styles. This Sauvignon Blanc has an herbal and limestone nose which flows consistently through its flavors. It’s balanced and crisp with a touch of fruit and a medium-short finish. It’s also good with hard-to-pair foods like salads and broccoli. Recommended.
Palate Press Wine of the Week: 2005 Miguel Torres Santa Digna Sauvignon Blanc “Selection” Palate Press April 11, 2011 FCG, Tasting Notes Found this 2005 forgotten in the basement and brought it up for dinner tonight. What a great surprise! It was a bit warm but I twisted open the screwcap and sweet grass and herbs wafted out. The aromas persisted upon pouring: more sweet meadow herbs, a bit of limestone. On the palate, plenty of body, great balance, but the finish was a bit on the short side. Reminiscent of a very good white Bordeaux, with an appealing strain of chalkiness running through it. Highly recommended.
