Perhaps the best "non-sauterne" made, this is in a great place. Light iced-tea in color, clear and bright. The nose is very nice with honey, apricots and slight Crème Brûlée quality. Medium bodied but viscous. Sweet not cloying. On the palate, honey and caramel notes with good acidity. Long finish. Delicious. This drinks great on its own and will work with less sweet, non-chocolate desserts.
A Sauvignon Blanc from Austria, this was produced using sustainable farming methods. 12.5% ABV. Silvery gold in color with a slight copper hue. Clear and bright. The nose is initially mineral driven but with a bit of air, some green pepper notes emerge. With a bit more air, some lemons come out. Finally, after almost two hours of air, there are some grassy notes along with some tropical fruit (papaya). Fascinating to observe the evolution of the nose.
This is a Sauvignon Blanc from Turkey. While obviously this has some age on it, it showed well and improved with air over the course of a few hours. 13.5% ABV. Golden color, slightly on the deeper gold side (probably due to some age). Clear and bright. The nose is reticent at first but with air shows minerals, slight hay, and a slight winter-green note. After an hour or two, it shows some fruit - melon and slight tropical fruit. It has a lovely, slightly oily texture. On the palate, this is a lively wine. Nice minerality if not a lot of fruit. Some depth. Good finish. It would b
What more can be said about one of the truly great wines made. Golden in color, deep and shimmering bright. On the nose there is honey, some dust, pineapple and orange marmalade. Viscous. On the palate, this is so smooth as it coats the mouth. Notes or apricots, honey, pineapple and slight caramel. Long, long finish. This is not an opulent year for Yquem nor is it lean. It drinks great on its own. It would work with a less sweet dessert, but this is one of those wines that deserves 100% attention. Drink over the next thirty years.
One of my favorite dessert wines. At age 12, this is drinking beautifully from a 375ml bottle. Light to medium golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is gorgeous with oranges, blood oranges, honey and spice. Full bodied. Viscous texture. Excellent balance and acidity. On the palate, oranges, orange peel and honey, layered and complex. The finish is quite long. Delicious. As good as this is, it may still get better with age. This is contemplative on it own but will work for less sweet (not chocolate) dessert. A polenta cake would work nicely.
This is the Robert Mondavi Winery's version of a Sauvignon Blanc. It is actually 87% Sauvignon Blanc and 13% Semillon. It is also a great value in California Sauvignon Blanc. Light golden with some green hues in color, clear and bright. The nose shows a slightly grassy note with plenty of tropical fruits. Also a bit of citrus. It has a very creamy texture which is nice and enough acidity to come off as crisp. On the palate, mostly guava and papaya fruits. Ripe and delicious. Drink this over the next few years. This drinks great on its own and will work well with lighter foods. A
One of the first 2020's I have tried and this is a beauty.
From Oregon producer Sineann, they also make a line of wines in New Zealand. This is a delightful and classic style of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose has peaches but also a hint of tropical fruits. Medium bodied. On the palate, the fruits come thru to match the nose. More tropical fruit on the finish. Slightly viscous texture. Dry. This is drinking well but probably should be consumed in the next few years. It drinks great on its own and will work well with lighter foods.
