With two solid weeks of sunshine here in Seattle, I was happy to see a bright white in my WineAwesomeness box. Spring had officially arrived and with it, the promise of warmer days with more hours of light to be shared with some lighter wines.
I have not drank enough Sauvignon Blancs yet in my lifetime, because I always think of them as a zippier Pinto Grigio, so this week I set out to find out what made Sauvignon Blanc different and special. It turns out that Sauvignon Blanc is much more similar to Grüner Veltliner, which when I thought about it, made perfect sense. Both wines are higher in acidity and are known for citrus and grassy flavors and smells.
This wine reminded me quite a bit of Texas. It seemed like something I would have ordered during a particularly hot day in order to cool down and quench my thirst. The fact that it was from the San Antonio Valley in Italy only perpetuated my thoughts. The weather in this Valley is somewhat special given its approximation to the ocean and the colder climate that occurs because of this. This climate, combined with the length of the growing season, results in mature grapes that are still high in acidity. * It’s just what winemakers prefer when it comes to Sauvignon Blanc.
This wine was from Leyda Valley, Chile and sampled on March 27, 2019. I barely got my nose to the glass before the scent of Calla Lilies hit me. It was followed up by tropical fruits, which transported me right to an island beach chair. I was listening to “Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones. I had to pause a minute when the first taste even tasted like ocean water to make sure I was still at my kitchen table. There was quite a bit of a lime flavor as well. It was like drinking the wine equivalent of a margarita! It fought too much flavor-wise to be enjoyable with the egg scramble. It tasted great alone and I think it would hold up well with something a little more carb-heavy, creamy, or with seafood.
I gave this wine a rating of 3.5. It was very good on it’s own and I am much more interested in trying it after finishing up an afternoon of working or exercising outside than I am in pairing it with food.
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