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On a very hot summer evening, we hosted our largest tasting yet as ten friends turned up to drink Sauvignon Blanc. Did we mention our apartment is a studio? Luckily the AC was working and the wines were plenty refreshing, seven bottles spanning from the grape's native Loire to Chile, New Zealand, and California. An affordable white Bordeaux couldn't be found this time, but we did land a few Bordeaux-style blends from California to take up the slack.
Inspired by the large turnout of Tipplers and the accordingly large wine selection, we went all out making dishes that we expected to pair especially well with specific bottles. Dinner was goat milk brie and baguette, spicy pork laarb, bowtie pasta dressed with smoked trout and cucumber cream sauce served cold, and Thai-style chicken and mango stir-fry over noodles served hot. Dessert was cantaloupe slices.
Wines are 100% Sauvignon Blanc unless otherwise noted.
Bottle 1: Kunde Family Estate Magnolia Lane Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Sonoma County, CA ($8.99)
Rank Amateurs Said: pale yellow color, cantaloupe, grapefruit, flowers, and grass in the nose, white pepper, medium acidity, light body, round on the finish
In a Word: Tropical
Paired with Food: Stir-fry with mango brought out tropical fruit in the wine
NOTE: 91% Sauvignon Blanc, 6% Semillon, 3% Viognier
Bottle 2: Casa Julia Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Casablanca Valley, Chile ($7.99)
Rank Amateurs Said: pale yellow color, tart apple, gooseberry, and citrus in the nose, high acidity, light body, lean, short finish
In a Word: Crisp
Paired with Food: Great with the goat milk cheese, the acid cutting fat and tang
Bottle 3: Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Napa County, CA ($29.99)
Rank Amateurs Said: yellow color, grapefruit, white pepper, flowers, and honeydew melon in the nose, grass, perfume, oak, round, low acidity, medium body, finish
In a Word: Smooth
Paired with Food: Great with the spicy dishes, taming the heat in the noodles and the pork laarb
NOTE: 86% Sauvignon Blanc, 24% Semillon
Bottle 4: Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Marlborough, New Zealand ($27.99)
Rank Amateurs Said: yellow color, "racy," lemon zest, grass, mango, grapefruit, and gooseberry in the nose, white pepper, rain, lime, medium acidity, medium body, long finish
In a Word: Fresh
Paired with Food: Flavors evolved paired with each of the foods, great with all
Bottle 5: Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre 2008, Loire Valley, France ($23.99)
Rank Amateurs Said: yellow color, rainwater, wet slate, gunflint, herbs, and gooseberry in the nose, high acidity, light body, long finish, "I could drink this all day long"
In a Word: Classic
Paired with Food: Overwhelmed by the spicy dishes, it was fantastic with the cheese and the smoked trout pasta dish
Bottle 6: Remy Pannier Pouilly Fumé 2006, Loire Valley, France ($8.99)
Rank Amateurs Said: cloudy yellow color, muted nose, citrus, vanilla, oak, diluted, flabby, weak acidity, light body, weak finish
In a Word: Skip
Paired with Food: We all thought this wine was either improperly stored or just past its prime even though it wasn't obviously flawed (as in TCA or oxidized), so we stopped drinking it after tasting [Scott writes: which isn't to say that at least one of us didn't eventually polish off that bad boy -- at least one of us did, and it was eventually polished]
Bottle 7: Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc 2008, Sonoma, CA ($13.99)
Rank Amateurs Said: golden yellow color, smoke, vanilla, pear, spive, and honeysuckle in the nose, balanced oak, smooth, medium acidity, luscious mouthfeel, medium-full body, long finish
In a Word: Luscious
Paired with Food: Really good with the spicy dishes
Links
Kunde Family Estate
Duckhorn Vineyards
Cloudy Bay
Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery
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