Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favorite white wine grapes. It can produce crisp, everyday white wines that go great with food. For $10 – $15 you can find a very satisfactory bottle. Sauvignon Blanc can also do much more than that, and put top notch grapes in the hand of a master winemaker and some amazing things happen. Throw in some oak and suddenly the wine gains layers of complexity and flavor. It gains texture. While doing this it can also retain that freshness and acid, becoming a balanced beauty which drinks great with food or equally well by itself. This is the main grape in white Bordeaux wine, and is grown successfully around the world.
In this article we have two Sauvignon Blancs to review. They are quite different. Let’s see what’s in the bottles.
Wine: 2020 Matetic Vineyards EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc
Winery Location: Casablanca Valley, Chile
Tasted By: Neil & Cheri
Date: May 2021
Tasting Notes: Light yellow to straw colored, this wine has a bright nose of grapefruit, peach and other ripe fruits. On the palate it is complex, with some apple joining the party. You get a little spice. The grapes for this come from vineyards very close to the Pacific Ocean, and in 2020 the growing season was short due to the warm summer. Fruit quality was very good.
Price Point – SRA of $19.99
Would We Buy It? – We would. This is clean, crisp, elegant and balanced. It is clearly a well made wine, and a good value. Recommended.
And now the second wine:
Wine: Vintage Longbottom ‘H’ Sauvignon Blanc
Winery Location: South Australia
Tasted By: Neil & Cheri
Date: May 2021
Tasting Notes: This juice is straw colored, with a nose of lemon/lime and tropical fruits. You immediately notice the body and texture on the palate, as the wine has a presence. About half of the free run juice here went into oak. While smooth as silk it retains freshness, and has great balance. Nice acid cleans the palate at the finish, which is long and graceful. This is another clearly well made wine, and very, very good. While not inexpensive as Sauvignon Blanc goes, it is worth it.
Price Point – SRP of $29.99
Would We Buy It? – Yes. This is a superior white wine. Highly recommended.
You can spend less for Sauvignon Blanc, you can spend more. You can’t do much better though.
A votre santé!
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