Tuesday, May 2, 2017

International Sauvignon Blanc Day on Friday, May 5th

On the heels of World Malbec Day comes the lesser promoted (in the BC market, anyway) International Sauvignon Blanc Day on Friday, May 5th. To mark the occasion and the celebrate one of my personal favourite varieties, I offer a selection of Sauvignon Blanc to seek out and enjoy. Not all of the selections are of the current vintages available, but each is a consistent producer, from year to year.

Nederburg Wines 2015 Winemaster's Reserve Sauvignon Blanc - $13
Pungent and refreshing on the nose with fresh oyster minerality and sodium. Tangy gooseberry, crisp citrus and green apple flavours blend nicely on the sharp, mouth-watering palate. A touch of citrus peel and spice lingers on the moderate finish.

Sileni Estates 2016 Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc - $18
The 2016 offers greater balance than recent vintages thanks to a more perceptible layer of lees and baked orchard fruit notes beneath the prominent citrus and mineral characters on the stonefruit-infused nose and textured palate.

Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars 2015 Sauvignon Blanc - $19
A supremely refreshing, low-alcohol Sauvignon Blanc produced from 8-10 year old vines using a wild yeast ferment and minimal oak contact: a clean, pure expression of the French variety. Opens with a with a mellow nose of citrus fruit and Jazz apple aromas and the faint smell of oak and briny seashells. An intense, citrus and mineral-infused palate follows sporting a fairly full mouth-feel with hints of herbs and lemon peel through to the long finish.

Jackson Estate 2011 "Stich" Sauvignon Blanc - $20
This wine wins with its excellent balance of citrus acidity and light residual sugar on the rich, concentrated palate of gooseberry, kiwi fruit and mineral flavours. The finish is impressively long for this price point with lingering, mouth-watering lemon-lime peel notes and just a hint of spice.

Fairview Cellars 2013 Sauvignon Blanc - $20
The nose of this Sauvignon Blanc doesn't appear until the wine has warmed in the glass, which many of us won't wait to experience. If you do, it's a nose fuelled by apples, citrus and stonefruit aromas.Instead, we'll enjoy this tasty wine, with our favourite seafood dish or a hard cheese plate and appreciate the multitudes of textures on the palate.

La Frenz Winery 2012 Sauvignon Blanc - $22
Tangy citrus, ripe papaya and sea shells grace the nose of this boisterous Sauvignon Blanc from Naramata Bench produce La Frenz Winery who, through past success, have become one of the most consistent producers of the French variety. The palate's flavour profile, which ranges from lemon/lime to green apple to stonefruit to brioche, benefits from selective blending from multiple fruit sources and prolonged lees contact creating mouth feel and a long finish.

Le Vieux Pin 2015 Sauvignon Blanc - $30
A complex, finely tuned, rich-yet-refreshing Sauvignon Blanc with ample layers of tropical fruit, herbals, minerals and lees on the delicate nose and medium-bodied palate. The finish is long and richly textured with lingering citrus peel and level, spice notes.


Bench 1775 Winery 2011 Whistler Sauvignon Blanc Icewine - $30
Produced under Bench 1775's 'Whistler' brand, this tasty 100% Sauvignon Blanc icewine delivers an impressive punch of concentrated, honey crisp apples on the serene, sweet-smelling nose and on the well-balanced, intense palate. The sticky, pineapple upside-down cake and candied-peach flavours are beautifully managed with impressive, green apple acidity keeping the gooey texture fresh and mouth-watering.

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2017 IconWines.ca

No comments:

Post a Comment