Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2007 – Sonoma County California
Cost: $22.99/Bottle
Light pewter in color, medium-bodied, nice genuine notes of grapefruit, wet stones, and lemon rind on the nose. In the mouth, tart and dry, good balance, refreshing and light on the palate with slightly diluted but consistent flavors of grapefruit and minerals.
Rating: 86
Simi Chardonnay 2007 – Sonoma California
Cost: 19.99/Bottle
A dry chardonnay that hints at juiciness— with its buttery oak, honeydew, pear, and tropical fruit aromas. It’s moderately full-bodied with consistent pears, fruity flavors, and minerals that flow quite nicely with a zingy acidity that puckers the upper section of your mouth. A slightly short and dry finish, but that’s fine for the value of this Sonoma chardonnay.
Rating: 87
Matua Valley – Sauvignon Blanc – 2008, Marlborough, New Zealand
Cost: app. $16 to $18 / bottle
One of the hidden gems in the world of dry white wines can easily include the sauvignon blanc, and New Zealand is well known for producing fine examples. This Matua Valley was quite simply… awesome. This is crisp, light to medium-bodied, with a slight pewter in color. The aromas and flavors that dominated the entire time were a refreshing array of grapefruit, lime, and just a suggestion of lemongrass. Went very well with the summery cuisine I enjoyed alongside this wine of excellent value.
Rating: 90
Cakebread – Sauvignon Blanc 2007, California
Cost: $58/bottle at Koi in the Bryant Park Hotel, NYC (Retails for about $35 at your fine wine shop.)
With a cornucopia of sushi, spicy shrimp appetizers and wasabi sauce, you need something cool and refreshing to wash it all down; what better dry white wine than a Sauvignon Blanc by Cakebread Cellars. Its ripe lime, lemon and grapefruit scents with just a touch of minerals, and overall citrus infused flavors certainly do the trick, harnessing the palate enough to still relish the cuisine while savoring the wine. Cakebread’s Sauvignon Blanc is superb with its crisp character, clean and long finish. Perhaps the best sauvignon blanc I’ve had in quite some time.
Rating: 93
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