Clif Family Winery, California, The Climber, White Wine 2008 The fruit is dazzling when you pour this in the glass. There’s lots of ripe citrus with floral and tropical notes. The focus on fruit continues on the palate, where the acidity is crisp, framing the taste of fresh orange and tangerine - very nice.
The grapes [...]

read more from this topic.....

Six Sigma, Lake County, Rooster Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc 2006 This wine is amazingly fresh for an ‘06 California Sauvignon. There’s plenty of citrus in the nose as well as some freshly mown grass. In the mouth, the acidity is dazzling and there is a bit of honeyed roundness - very nice. The high acidity and [...]

read more from this topic.....

Benziger, Russian River Valley, Shone Farm, Sauvignon Blanc 2006 There’s a pleasant grassiness to this wine with plenty of citrus. In the mouth it is bone-dry and very concentrated. This bottle that we’re tasting tonight has evolved a little prematurely. The wine was fermented in stainless. This back vintage was kicking around in storage. P&B [...]

read more from this topic.....

Peter Michael Winery, Knights Valley, Sonoma County, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 The oak comes through in a big way - overtop of the fruit. In the mouth this wine is quite rich, tropical and oaky with a glistening viscosity and great length. Besides the Sauvignon there is 9% Semillon in the mix. The grapes for this [...]

read more from this topic.....

Oyster Bay, Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Like the ‘07, This is in-your-face Sauvignon with bell pepper and lots of acid. All stainless with some lees contact. 13% $10.49 at Bottle Barn Oyster Bay

read more from this topic.....

Trecini, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, Late Harvest, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 This wine offers the pleasure of Sauternes at a good price - honey, complexity and zippy lemons. The grapes for this wine were harvested at 44 brix, 11 degrees higher than the previous vinatage. RS is 100 grams/litre. P&B Santa Rosa 11.5% $19.99 for [...]

read more from this topic.....

Chalk Hill Estate Winery, Chalk Hill, Sonoma County, Estate Bottled, Sauvignon Blanc 2006 This wine is quite smoky and full of toasty notes. In the mouth, the impression is of richness, a wine that is quite viscous despite the suppression of malolactic fermentation. There’s a bit of citrus zip to balance the richness, a lingering [...]

read more from this topic.....

Peterson, Dry Creek Valley, Timbercrest Farms, Sauvignon Blanc 2008 This wine is vibrant with citrus and accentuated by oakiness. The fermentation began in stainless. To add complexity the lees were stirred and the wine finished in French oak, 20% of which was new, and aged there for 8 weeks. We visited with Fred and Jamie [...]

read more from this topic.....

Hanna, Russian River Valley, Estate Grown, Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Notes back through the 2004 vintage show a consistent thread of bright citrus and high acidity.
The ‘08 repeats that scenario with tropical notes as well. Give it a bit of air upon opening to blow off a bit of reductive character. Bottled under screwcap.
This wine has been [...]

read more from this topic.....

Chateau Gravas, Sauternes 2005 The nose features honey, flowers and minerality with an appropriate amount of volatility.  In the mouth, the honey-essence and caramel are there in a light-bodied format with a touch of spiritous character.
Previously I wrote: This wine hasn’t been a show stopper but it isn’t bad. I mean this in the best [...]

read more from this topic.....

Domaine André Vatan, Sancerre, Les Charmes 2007
The style point has always been lean and green, offering a sense of the appellation without the over $20 price of the more concentrated offerings. This vintage sports minerality, pipi de chat and grass in the nose. The mouth is quite crisp, with plenty of laser-like acidity and a [...]

read more from this topic.....

Chateau Guiraud, Sauternes 2005 Minerality, honey and tropical fruits mark the nose. The mouth is all caramel with hints of that minerality - destined to be drunk with creme caramel. Mis au chateau in Sauternes 13.5% $34.99 for a 375ml bottle and $68.99 for a 750ml at Bottle Barn Guiraud

read more from this topic.....

Sauvignon Republic, Stellenbosch, Sauvignon Blanc 2007
This wine is no slouch in its intensity, with the grassier side of herbaceousness on display.  Back in November we tasted this bottling along with the Marlborough and the Russian River bottlings in the same flight.  The Marlborough was intensely herbaceous with an even greater amplification of bell peppers. The [...]

read more from this topic.....

Ferrari-Carano, Sonoma County, Fume Blanc 2007 In the nose there is sweet tropical fruit and minerality along with a bit of cut grass. In the mouth this wine has a softer, creamier feel than many Sauvignon, displaying richness rather than steeliness. The fruit for this wine was sourced from Dry Creek, Russian River and Alexander [...]

read more from this topic.....

Duckhorn Vineyards, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Ripe citrus and floral notes dazzle your nose when you smell this wine. In the mouth, it is round and softer than many SBs, with ripeness of fruit and a little warmth. When we visited the winery in the summer, Matt said that 25% of the grapes are [...]

read more from this topic.....

Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne, Sauternes 2001 This wine displays lots of tropical fruit in the nose, a sense of bananas and pineapple mixed with the mineral edge of appropriate volatility, though too much for some of the class. In the mouth, there is caramel, warmth and citrus fruits. This Sauternes is of a more moderate richness level, [...]

read more from this topic.....

Domaine Ghislaine et Jean-Hugues Goisot, Saint-Bris 2007 Of course all of the wines in this northern outpost of Burgundy do not go by the name of Chablis. We had an opportunity to visit the cellar in Saint-Bris-le-Vineux during our visit in March and the wines proved to be great values. This bottle of the ‘07 [...]

read more from this topic.....

deLorimier, Alexander Valley, Estate Bottled, Late Harvest, Lace 2004 The nose combines bananas, caramel and minerality. The mouth is viscous without being cloying showcasing the tropical fruit in a rich way, as if dazzled with honey. The botrytised grapes behind the ‘04 are 56% Semillon, 24% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Muscat, 169 g/l RS. GP&B [...]

read more from this topic.....

Chateau La Tour Blanche, Sauternes, 1er Cru 2003 The nose is marked by honey and minerality and appropriate VA. The pungency of the cleanser-like VA will certainly be too much for some as it does interfere with the fruit in the nose. That said, this is a tolerated style point in these types of wines. [...]

read more from this topic.....

Voss, Napa Valley, Rutherford Estate Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Today on the first of April, 2009 the citrus is holding steady and the wine retains its freshness - bravo! In the fall of ‘08 I noted:  there’s a sense of gooseberries, candied tropical fruits and a little bell pepper. The fruitiness comes through even more [...]

read more from this topic.....

Jean Reverdy, Sancerre, La Reine Blanche 2007 Once again the smell of grass and grapefruit are in full force while the mouth follows suit with plenty of acidity and a little minerality.
My notes from the previous three vintages show this consistent thread of grapefruit and grass in a high acid frame
Produced from vines over 25 [...]

read more from this topic.....

Domaine Didier Dagueneau, Pouilly-Fume, Pur Sang 2004 In this wine there is the smell of cat pee and minerality. The mouth is very concentrated and long, with ripe citrus flavors like orange and tangerine. This Sauvignon is barrel fermented. Produced in Sant Andelain 11.5% $53.99 at Bottle Barn back in 2006

read more from this topic.....

Chateau Lagupeau, Graves 2007 The nose is a mix of bay leaves, fruit and chemical notes. In the mouth the wine is hard and lean with lots of acid. There’s a sense that this wine is aging prematurely and I’d be hesitant to purchase another bottle. This is one of the second wines from Chateau [...]

read more from this topic.....

Paradise Ridge Winery, Russian River Valley, Ode to Joy, Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Lots of complexity in this wine, with honey galore - very reminiscent of Sauternes. This dessert wine was crafted to honor the memory of Marijke Byck-Hoenselaars. 44 degrees brix at harvest. Winemaker Dan Barwick. P&B in Santa Rosa. 13.2% $28.99 for a [...]

read more from this topic.....

Dry Creek Vineyard, Sonoma County, Fume Blanc 2007 There’s plenty of citrus and herbaceous notes to smell. In the mouth the acidity stands out as well as a sense of lemon peel. This wine has been a good standard for a budget Sauvignon and they just took the sweepstakes award at the Sonoma County Harvest [...]

read more from this topic.....

Chateau Guiraud, Bordeaux Blanc Sec, Le G de Chateau Guiraud 2006
This vintage is pretty hard to love in that the smell is all minerality and solvent notes. There’s viscosity and acidity but flavor? Sourced from vines with an average age of 15 years, planted 70% Sauvignon and the rest Semillon. The wine was barrel fermented [...]

read more from this topic.....

Angeline, Russian River Valley, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 In the nose there are the competing smells of citrus, candy, flowers and a bit of mown grass. You taste the citrus with a sense of the lemon zest as well. There’s a frame of acidity as well to make this wine refreshing. This 100% Sauvignon comes to [...]

read more from this topic.....

Dutcher Crossing, Dry Creek Valley, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 This Sauvignon smells of sweet and ripe tropical fruit. The fresh fruit continues on the palate where there is a softer, rounder feel than with many Sauvignon. Don’t get me wrong, I love an in-your-face, herbaceous, acid-dominated Sauvignon as much as the next fellow. But isn’t it [...]

read more from this topic.....

Leo Steen Dry Creek Valley Saini Farms Chenin Blanc 2007
This wine was excellent in ‘06 and even better this time around. There is the mineral nerve that we associate with Savennieres and the ripeness of fruit that we associate with California sunshine.  You can smell lime and tropical fruits and the the mouth is full [...]

read more from this topic.....

The Drylands and Omaka Springs shine in this flight and show two slightly different taste profiles.
Drylands, Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 A pungent rush of gooseberry jumps out of the glass when you pour this wine with cut grass in the background. The same flavors follow in the mouth with the addition of citrus and racy [...]

read more from this topic.....

Francis Blanchet, Pouilly-Fume, Cuvee Silice 2006 Corked, so who will ever know what to think about this wine.This is all stainless Sauvignon produced across the river from Sancerre. Silice is sourced from an old vine parcel, laden with silex, just up the river in Les Loges. Mis a la propriete a Le Bouchot in Pouilly-Sur-Loire [...]

read more from this topic.....

Dry Creek Vineyard, Sonoma County, Fume Blanc 2006 This wine has been a good standard for a budget Sauvignon. There’s plenty of citrus and ample acidity making this clean and dry. Production is all stainless. 13.5% $14.50 at the winery Dry Creek Vineyard

read more from this topic.....