The Good Wine Guru » citrus flavors

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2010

George — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:46:28 +0000

Varietal: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: California – USA
Cost: $11 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Lemon/lime with freshly cut grass and floral notes on the nose. The flavors of the same family with a nice acidic backbone. The acidity leans to the citrus side making for a very food friendly wine. Enjoy this superior Sauvignon Blanc with crab salad, calamari, prosciutto-wrapped pears, and roasted chicken.

My Review: I don’t think it’s any surprise when I say that I really enjoy Sauvignon Blanc, especially this time of year as the weather gets progressively hotter and (at least here in Virginia) more humid and having a nice crisp wine is a near must have.

While I’ve grown particularly fond of Sauvignon Blanc from South America in recent years, I’m certainly always looking to expand my wine horizons, so I was happy to receive a sample of the most recent vintage of Robert Mondavi’s Sauvignon Blanc. Relaxing with my wife this weekend with a lunch of munchies, we opened up the bottle to give it a try.

In the glass the wine was light yellow with almost a hint of green to it when the light hit it just right. On the nose I got citrus and while I don’t know that I would go so far as the winemaker to call it an aroma of freshly cut grass, it certainly had a “green” aroma to it.

In the mouth the wine had a good acidity to it with the citrus from the nose carrying over as well as the sensation of “green” that I got on the nose. Paired with a lunch that included cheese and crackers it was a nice refreshing wine that was as enjoyable with food as without, though I agree with the winemaker’s notes that this would be a great pairing with some crab or calamari.

This time of year I pretty much always recommend Sauvignon Blanc to anybody looking for a white wine that’s light, crisp, and versatile, and while a good part of my heart still belongs to the Sauvignon Blancs of South America, I would absolutely buy this one and recommend it to anybody looking for an affordable Sauvignon Blanc that you can probably find in your local store.

If you can’t find the 2010 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Sauvignon Blanc in your local store, simply follow this link and you can have it shipped to your home or business.

Franciscan Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2009

George — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:00:31 +0000

Varietal: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: California – Napa Valley – USA
Cost: $17 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Pale straw color with aromas of lime, white grapefruit, notes of passionfruit, vanilla, and honeydew melon. Flavors of lime zest, mineral, citrus blossom, grapefruit and hints of guava. Lingering flavors of lime and melon through a long, crisp finish. Pairs well with seafood, chicken, and soft cheeses.

My Review: Anybody that’s followed along for any amount of time knows that I’m a big fan of Sauvignon Blanc, especially those with lots of citrus on them. Fortunately, the 2009 Franciscan Estate Sauvignon Blanc has just that.

Very pale in color, with just enough yellow in it so as not to be completely clear, the wine was abundant in aromas and flavors of citrus, particularly lime. There’s a definite lime zest/pithiness to the flavor that I found very enjoyable – it’s crisp and clean and full of flavor all at the same time.

Paired with a dinner of baked pesto tilapia and some parmesan risotto, it was a nice counter-note to the creaminess of the risotto, while not overpowering the lightness of the fish.

I would compare this very favorably with a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc thanks to the in-your-face citrus, though there’s far more lime than grapefruit, which is not a bad thing. If you’re a fan of Sauvignon Blanc, especially those from South America, I think this will be right in your wheelhouse.

If you can’t find the 2009 Franciscan Estate Sauvignon Blanc at your local store, and that may or may not be tricky since it appears to be a limited release, you can order it online by visiting this link and having it shipped to you directly.

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2009

George — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:00:44 +0000

Varietal: Sauvigon Blanc
Region: New Zealand
Cost: $10 – $13

Pale green in color with aromas of citrus, tropical fruit, and herbs. Flavors of pineapple with a herbaceous and clean finish. Pairs well with shellfish, asparagus dishes, summer salads.

Recommendations: On Friday while shopping for groceries, my wife and I also picked up a bottle of the 2009 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc – we had been looking at it for a while when stopping in the store and we have a big lack of white wine in the house at the moment. On Sunday we opened it up to pair with a dinner of bacon wrapped scallops and butter noodles.

If I had to pick two words to describe this wine it would be “green” and “citrus”. On the nose the tropical fruits and citrus were prevalent, and in the mouth, pineapple, herbs, and a nice clean finish with a hint of acid made this a nice wine to sip on. The citrus and acid did a nice job of cutting through the rich flavors of the meal, but it was light enough to be enjoyed while the meal was cooking, especially on a warm day.

While this certainly isn’t a ground-breaking Sauvignon Blanc, for around $10 it’s not a bad wine to pick up for a casual seafood dinner with your significant other. While you’ll see me drinking fewer of these wines as we head into fall (I’m a sucker for Sauvignon Blanc on the deck), we’ve still a few hot days left so try to get in some deck time with a crisp wine while you can.

If you can’t find the 2009 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc in a store near you, you can order it from here.

Razor’s Edge Chardonnay

George — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:00:51 +0000

Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: South Australia
Cost: $11

An unwooded Chardonnay, offering crisp flavors of apple and citrus. Pairs with chicken, pork, seafood, or light appetizers.

Recommendations: My wife is not a fan of oaked Chardonnay, so when we saw this in the store, we thought we’d give it a try. The initial flavors of the wine are crisp with plenty of citrus and granny smith apple both on the nose and on the palate, which was perfect for the grilled chicken dinner we paired it with.

However, I found the finish of this wine to be a bit rough. It’s certainly not as rough as the Mirassou Chardonnay that I’ve already reviewed on here. That being said, the finish eventually began to bother me, especially after we had finished our food and were just sipping on the wine. Maybe with a juicy piece of pork it wouldn’t be as noticeable, but with the chicken (that I’ll admit I overcooked), it just wasn’t as enjoyable as I would have hoped.

If you liked the Mirassou Chardonnay you’ll like this, but if you’re looking for a crisp finish to your unoaked Chardonnay you’ll want to pass on this one.

Get Razor’s Edge Chardonnay at WineZap – Click Here

Oak Leaf Sauvignon Blanc

George — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:00:47 +0000

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: California – USA
Cost: $3

Light color with citrus flavors and a slightly acidic finish. Pair with seafood, poultry, or light appetizer style food.

Recommendations: If you’re not familiar with Oak Leaf wine it’s because you haven’t looked at the wine section of a Wal-Mart. Oak Leaf is their house brand of wine, and is offering an expanding selection of wine, including Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz.

This particular Sauvignon Blanc is pretty much what you would expect from a $3 wine. It’s light and fairly crisp, but is honestly more reminiscent of a Pinot Grigio than a Sauvignon Blanc, but that could be my own bias as I prefer South American Sauvignon Blanc to those made in the US.

My wife and I paired this with a snack lunch of cheese, crackers, hummus, and crab puffs, and while it certainly did the job, I can’t say that I wouldn’t have preferred something better.

If you’re looking for a budget Sauvignon Blanc, this isn’t terrible, but the budget Sauvignon Blanc offered by Trader Joe’s is better for the same price. Pass on this unless you’re really looking for a budget deal.

Ponga Sauvignon Blanc

George — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:00:18 +0000

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: New Zealand
Cost: $9.99

Light and juicy with just enough grapefruit flavor to let you know it’s a Sauvignon Blanc wthout overwhelming you with citrus flavors. Great for seafood, sushi, appetizers, or on the patio.

Recommendations: While Terra Andina Sauvignon Blanc has take its place in my heart as my go-to summer deck wine, Ponga is certainly giving it a run for the its money. Light and crisp with just enough citrus to be refreshing without beating you over the head with it, this white from New Zealand was the perfect compliment to a lunch of cheese, crackers, hummus, and home made bruschetta that my wife and I enjoyed this past weekend. That being said, I would definitly recommend pairing the Ponga with a piece of spicy tilapia or even some sushi.

If you’re in the market for a deck wine and don’t want to spend a lot of money on it, the Ponga Sauvignon Blanc is a great value with a great taste. Half the fun of drinking it is just saying the name, but you’ll get a lot of enjoyment drinking this on the deck as the temperature continues to climb. Grab this one.

Joel DeLaunay Touuraine Sauvignon Blanc

George — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:10:44 +0000

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: France
Cost: $13.99

Pale straw coloring and a nose of citrus that is matched only by the flavors. Heavy flavors of lime with a crisp finish.

Recommendation: I had picked this bottle at a local wine shop as it was their “wine of the week” and I’m alwasy in the market for a good Sauvignon Blanc. My wife and I paired this wine with a dinner of grilled chicken over salad, and it’s a good thing that the wine was as light and citrusy as it was, because I may have over-seasoned the chicken.

The aromas and flavors of lime were almost overpowering at first, and caught me off guard at first as I was expecting more grapefruit. I’m not sure if the heavy flavors of lime are indicative of Sauvignon Blanc from France or just this particular vineyard, but it was certainly unexpected, but still very good. The crisp finish of the wine was refreshing, as I’ve come to expect from Sauvignon Blanc, and was the perfect compliment to my (over) seasoned chicken and salad dinner.

If you prefer grapefruit flavors in your Sauvignon Blanc, this won’t be what you’re looking for, but if you’re looking for a crisp white wine with lots of citrus, this is a great buy and I would recommend it.

Mirassou Sauvignon Blanc

George — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:23:47 +0000

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: California – USA
Cost: $8.99

Very pale coloring is almost misleading due to the big nose and very aggressive flavors of this Sauvignon Blanc from California. Grapefruit is most prominent, but hints of other citrus fruit like lime are also present on the palate. Crisp finish that is the hallmark of this varietal and citrus flavors mean it will pair well with boldly flavored foods or by itself.

Recommendation: If you’ve read any of my reviews before, you know how I’ve had a love/hate relationship with Mirassou wines before. I love their pinot noir, but was less than impressed with their chardonnay offering. It was because of this that I was a bit apprehensive when purchasing the sauvignon blanc. Was I going to like it? Was it going to be like the chardonnay? The answer is somewhere inbetween.

The first thing I noticed after pouring myself a glass was the big nose of the wine. While I usually expect a crisp, citrusy nose from a Sauvignon Blanc, this one was harsh, and almost rough. The wine itself had a very heavy grapefruit flavor, with hints of other citrus fruit. The crisp finish was a nice pairing with the spicy meal that my wife and I drank the wine with, and probably saved the wine for me.

While this certainly isn’t my favorite Sauvignon Blanc, and it’s not even my favorite Mirassou wine, the Sauvignon Blanc from Mirassou was at least a step up from their Chardonnay. If you’re really in the market for an inexpensive Sauvignon Blanc you can do worse, but you can also do a lot better, as South American produces numerous Sauvignon Blanc’s that are of better quality and equal pricing. An upgrade over the Chardonnay, but not one I plan to purchase again.

Purchase Mirassou Sauvignon Blanc here

Terra Andina Sauvignon Blanc

George — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:30:06 +0000

Terra Andina Sauvignon Blanc

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Chile
Cost: $9.99

Pale straw colors and a crip nose match flavors of citrus fruit, most notably grapefruit, perfectly. Also featuring lime, nectarine, and hints of peach flavoring. A very light white wine.

Recommendation: I first came across Terra Andina Sauvignon Blanc while at the Seafire Grill in Richmond, Virginia (which is where I live). I instanly fell in love with the crisp flavors, especially the prevelance of grapefruit, which I don’t enjoy by itself. Searching for the wine at my local shops turned up nothing until this past week when I stopped into Private Stock Cigar & Wine. There it was, the wine I had been searching for for the better part of 2 years. Purchased and taken home, it didn’t take long until my wife and I enjoyed it on our deck.

While I normally try to pair wine with food, we’re getting into the time of year where I like to just sit out on my deck and enjoy a glass of white wine. The Sauvignon Blanc from Terra Andina is perfect for that. Light and crisp, it’s still full of flavors and not at all sweet. The citrus fruit flavors are the perfect for enjoying on a hot summer day, or for pairing with any number of meals from pork, to chicken, and even seafood. For the price, this is easily one of my favorite whites, and if you happen to find a bottle of it, I would highly recommend grabbing it, especially as the temperature continues to rise.

Voga Italia Pinot Grigio

George — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:02:13 +0000

Voga Italia Pinot Grigio

Varietal: Pinot Grigio

Region: Italy

Cost: $9.99

From Northern Italy, this white wine is on the dryer side of the pinot grigio scale, with citrus aromas and flavors, and a nice crisp finish.

Recommendation: For under $10, you can’t beat this wine. A dryer pinot grigio, this white wine has nice citrus flavors and a clean, crisp finish that will go perfectly with well seasoned seafood or chicken. Perfect for enjoying on a hot day, this wine is great for pairing with food or for drinking by itself. If you happen upon this wine in your store, I would recommend grabbing it for a try. It’s an excellent substitute for a sauvignon blanc.