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While grape growers in the northern hemisphere are just winding down harvest, the southern hemisphere is six months ahead of us. It seems we should still be drinking our 2005's, 06's, and 07,s, but I've just opened a bottle of the 2008 Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc Reserva, a gorgeously fresh and lively wine from Chile's Casablanca Valley. Ordinarily I think of Sauvignon Blanc as a summer wine because its bone-dry acidity and grapefruit flavors zing through your palate and refresh a thirsty mouth like no other wine can. But dry, unoaked varietal Sauv Blancs are mostly meant to be drunk young in order to stay fresh--so the younger, the better, and when the southern hemisphere 2008s roll out in the fall, it's best to catch them while you can.
Many producers in New Zealand and Chile use a new harvesting method of picking grapes over a longer period of time at different levels of ripeness, which gives the wine a heady combination of raciness and curves. Pick too soon, and Sauvignon Blanc, already a vegetal varietal, is too green, too grassy. Pick to late, and the wine is flabby and flat instead of full and round. The combination picking results in a multi-dimensional wine that has the best of both worlds: flinty minerality and ripe body.
Add this method to the fact that Chile produces some of the world's best value wines, and you have a recipe for goodness in these strange economic times. I've always liked the Veramonte brand, which is widely available in the U.S. and a good value. This year's reviews aren't out yet, but it's generally gotten good scores from the critics in the past.
As it turns out, Sauvignon Blanc isn't such a bad fall wine after all. I made a simple pasta dish from Everyday Food called Rigatoni with Roasted Pumpkin and Goat Cheese last night, and the wine was a perfect match, cutting the creamy sweetness of the squash and acting as partner to the tangy goat cheese.
When I have friends over to taste wine, they like most of what I pour their way. But Sauvignon Blanc seems to be like cilantro--you either love it or you hate it. Which are you?
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10-27-2008 @5:14PM Barry said... Used to drink Sauvignon Blanc a fair amount but after a while they all started tasting like grapefruit (of which I am not a fan). Not sure if it was a production change or my taste buds dulling...
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10-27-2008 @3:09PM Red Icculus said... I love the sauv blanc. Your choice and pairing were excellent and had me craving some.
Great post!
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10-27-2008 @9:15PM Gretchen Roberts said... That's a good question, Barry. I think it depends on the region a bit, too. Many California Sauvignon Blancs, marketed as Fume Blanc and aged in oak, have a fuller-bodied structure and more tropical taste, if you like that style. A more expensive Sancerre from France would probably offer more nuanced flavors and aromas than the simple grapefruit you smell and taste in a $10 wine.
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10-28-2008 @2:59PM aut112 said... This post sent me to the liquor store last night where I picked up a 2008 Nimbus Sauvignon Blanc for $13.99 and brought it to a friend's house. We ate it with a spicy stirfry and it was delicious! Thanks for the inspiration. Any other recommendations?
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10-28-2008 @7:56PM Gretchen Roberts said... aut112, I'm glad you enjoyed your dinner--sounds delicious! Look for more Wine of the Week posts on Sundays or Mondays around 2 p.m. with more recommendations. --Gretchen
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10-31-2008 @11:45AM aut112 said... Great! thanks!
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10-31-2008 @11:45AM aut112 said... Great! Thanks!
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