One of the great joys of drinking wine is tasting something that you think you know and discovering that the current vintage is a lot better. That's the case with this wine, which is more than decent to begin with.
The Republic of Sauvignon Blanc Cellars is a negociant that sells sauvignon blancs from California, South Africa, and New Zealand. As noted, they're usually fine wines, if a bit pricey for me at $18.
So, when I tasted this the other night, I expected New Zealand grapefruit and an acceptable finish. I got that, and a lot more. There is a bit of pineapple tucked in behind the grapefruit, which offers a wonderful contrast to the latter's acidity. And the finish, if not Sancerre-like, offers better minerality than in previous years.
You can drink this on its own (something that can't be said for a lot of New Zealand sauvignon blancs) or with shellfish or anything with garlic. This is value for price, even at $18.
took this bottle to S&D Oyster Co (where you can bring in you own wine). It matched very well with a Remoulade.
Posted by: AC | February 04, 2008 at 07:54 AM