Sauvignon Blanc

We are big fans of Kirkland (Costco) products including their wines.  They contract with quality vendors to makes legitimate wines at a fair price.  This is no exception.  A straight down the middle New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.  Light gold/green in color.  The nose has grapefruits, gooseberry and slight herbal notes.  Light to medium bodied.  Slightly viscous.  On the palate, this is dry but has good bright fruit.  Gooseberries and some grapefruits.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  While it is likely most of this is drunk on its own, it will work with lighter foods.  A nice choice for a tuna s

From a half bottle.  This is a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.  It is a late harvest dessert wine.  Light gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has honey along with a touch of peach.  Medium bodied.  Slightly viscous.  On the palate, this has some sweetness but that has probably faded since release.  Some honeyed notes.  Moderate finish.  These need to be drunk up at this point.  It works better with some food.  Cheese or less sweet pastries would work.

This is from a top Sancerre producer and while this is not labeled as such, it is better than many with the name.  A lovely, lighter wine that is clean and mineral driven although there is some fruit, too.  Light pale golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has minerality with apples and just the slightest grassy note.  Light bodied.  On the palate, more minerals with some apples and slight citrus.  Nice acidity.  Good finish.  This drinks fine on its own but is better with food.  It worked well with Mini French Onion Soup with Grilled Gruyere Sandwiches although better with the later.

DOA.  Maybe not cellared well but the best of these is unlikely to be good at age 51.

Golden in color, some orange hues, clear and bright.  The nose is lovely with apricot, peach, slight honey  and a slight bitter note.  Viscous.  Full bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, slightly sweet, not cloying.  Honey and apricot.  Long finish.  A good year if not great.  Nice value.  Drink over the next five to ten years.  It works well with a shortbread (not too sweet) cookie.  

First time trying this winery.  Tasted over two days, it was significantly more open (and better) on day 2.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  Lemons, floral notes, citrus and herbs.  Medium bodied.  Some minerality.  Moderate acidity.  On the palate, lemons with slight orange and a slight minerals note.  Good finish.  As Sauvignon Blancs go, this is heavy and present.  Not a light, easy going aperitif.  Good on its own, this would be better with some food.  It would be nice with Tuna Steak with a Chimichurri Sauce.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  

Arguably the best winery in the world.  This was not their best vintage (IMO 2001), but it is amazing.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is gorgeous with pineapple, mango, beeswax, floral tones and vanilla.  Medium to full bodied.  Viscous.  Great balance.  On the palate,  Pineapple, mango, slight lemon rind, a touch of salinity and peach.  Long, long finish in which the peach notes just keep expanding.  Slightly sweet but nowhere near cloying.  Delicious.  Great on its own, but went well with less sweet pastries.  Drink over the next fifty years.  

This is a producer who mostly make Bourbon Barrel Aged wines, but this one is made in Stainless Steel tanks.  Light silvery/green/gold in color.  Clear and Bright.  The nose has slight pineapple along with a touch of grassiness.  Light bodied, slightly oily texture.  On the palate, the pineapple is a bit more pronounced.  This is refreshing and easy drinking.  Drink over the  next year.  Nice on its own, this will work with lighter foods.  It would be a nice wine with an Avocado Salad.  

Oberon is a project by the Michael Mondavi family making quality wines from California. The winemaker is long time industry veteran Tony Coltrin. This is a reasonably priced Sauvignon Blanc that tries to forge its own identity from a grape that can be very distinctive depending on where it was grown and made. It is light green in color with a bit of silvery/gold hues. Clear and bright. The nose has a nice minerality, slight tropical fruit and even slighter grassiness. Slightly oily texture. Good balance. On the palate, the minerality dominates.

Always a pleasure to drink Yquem.  From a 375ml bottle.  This is young, of course, but delicious.  It is a blend of 55% Semillon and 45% Sauvignon Blanc.  Light golden in color with some orange hues, clear and bright.  The nose has apricots, honey and slight caramel notes.  Full bodied.  Viscous.  Excellent acidity.  On the palate, this is sweet, not cloying.  Apricots with honey.  Incredibly long finish.  This will get better with further cellaring, but is delicious now.  Drink over the next thirty years.  great on its own, this would also work with simple pound cake.