It’s one of the nation’s favourite white wines but as it continues to gain grounds in the popularity stakes is Sauvignon Blanc in danger of becoming the next Pinot Grigio? If some of the recent one’s I’ve tasted are anything to go by then move over Sauvignon Blanc; enter Sauvignon Bland. Luckily they’re not all bad. Here’s one to swallow and a couple you should spit:
Wine: 20 Barrels Limited Edition Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Style: White from Casablanca Valley, Chile
Price: £14.00
Outlets: Corks Out, Hailsham Wine Cellars, Slurp.co.uk, Your Favourite Wines
Occasion: A classy aperitif
Swallow because:
With only 1,000 cases produced, it’s a wine you’ll want to get your hands on before stocks run out. Its younger sister, the 2010 vintage, has just won best Sauvignon Blanc in the world (!) at the International Wine & Spirit Challenge this month so while that one is making its way across the Atlantic check out the ‘09 which is an English country garden in a glass; freshly cut grass, pea pod, asparagus and lime characters. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc….. watch out!
Wine: Sauvignon.com, Western Cape, South Africa
Spit because: The quirky label is “a playful nod to the digital world with pixelated images carving out the shape of a Sauvignon leaf” but behind it lies rather beige contents in the bottle. £8.49 at Tesco.
Wine: Casa Silva Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Spit because:A disappointing wine from a producer whose red wines I thoroughly enjoy. It’s Reserva title bigged it up to expect so much more expression and Sauvignon’iness than it did. If you’re after excellent Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, stick to the 20 Barrels above.
