by Winepisser | Feb 24, 2018 | Quick Review
Good lord, the nose on this thing will knock you out, and in a good way. You’ll smell this long before you raise the glass to your snoot. Potent lemon candy and bold apple dominate. On the tongue it’s potent lemon, slate and hints of vanilla. I...
by Winepisser | Feb 22, 2018 | Quick Review
Honey nose, with an interesting floral kick that lasts through the finish. Strong slate middle, but this comes off more French than Kiwi. Could use either a bit more fruit or a bit more lemongrass to kick it up another half star, but overall not bad.
by Winepisser | Feb 21, 2018 | Quick Review
Stunningly dull. You’d hardly know this was a sauvignon blanc, and you’d be hard-pressed to even identify this as a box wine blend. The only way to define this is by naming what’s NOT in it. There’s no apple here, no minerality, no lemongrass,...
by Winepisser | Feb 20, 2018 | Quick Review
Grassy apple-y goodness that is marred only by a noticeable lack of citric bite. This is so smooth, it’s unlike any SB I’ve tasted, and would probably be a great first SB for fans of California chardonnay looking to branch out. For me, though the lack of...
by Winepisser | Feb 7, 2018 | Quick Review
Grassy cat pee, comes as shockingly close to a New Zealand SB as I’ve ever had from Napa. Very tart. Best CA sauvignon blanc I’ve tasted to date!
by Winepisser | Jan 28, 2018 | Quick Review
Middling SB from Argentina, leans more towards a steel cask chardonnay, but otherwise drinkable.
by Winepisser | Jan 23, 2018 | Quick Review
Not much nose but you won’t care once it’s swimming around your tongue. Ample citrus here, without getting too lemony, and bracing acidity. Paired well with a chicken carrots dish cooked with the same wine in the sauce.
by Winepisser | Jan 15, 2018 | Quick Review
Much better than the 2015 and 2016 I had tasted previously. Good balance between tart apple and bracing minerals. If Ica can keep this up it will rival Chile in South American SB.
by Winepisser | Jan 14, 2018 | Quick Review
(No year recorded.) Very serviceable SB from Chile. More fruit than minerals, but in this case it works. Medium dry with notes of aguaymanto and lemon.
by Winepisser | Jan 14, 2018 | Quick Review
Orange color made me think this would be interesting, and it was but for all the wrong reasons. Nose is raisin but the palate is bitter almond crashing up against gasoline and prune juice. An unmitigated disaster. Serve this and you’ll be arrested for attempted...
by Winepisser | Jan 10, 2018 | Quick Review
A slightly skunky nose gives way to a pretty nice Chileno SB from the Valle de Maule region. Grass and ocean make this very pleasant, but it’s a bit underpowered. Paired well with polenta and whitefish plate. Just faded fast.
by Winepisser | Nov 22, 2017 | Quick Review
Citrusy lemon overpowers the natural grape here, but otherwise it’s a fine NZ SB. This one is very dry so may not win over those who are not already fans of the region’s sauvignon Blanc. It’s certainly great, but could have benefitted from the...
by Winepisser | Nov 20, 2017 | Quick Review
Competent but unremarkable SB from Sonoma.
by Winepisser | Nov 19, 2017 | Quick Review
No tasting notes.
by Winepisser | Nov 15, 2017 | Quick Review
Bright tart apple smacks bracingly with the usual mineral yumminess of NZ SB proving once more that the kiwis cannot seem to produce a single exception to their standard of excellence. Very nice.
by Winepisser | Nov 10, 2017 | Quick Review
Pungent nose of apple and onion grass is way better than it sounds, and really gives this a unique character. On the palate it’s a bit more traditional in the Cally SB sort of way, with tart fruit prominent here. Lacks the nautical mineral noted of New Zealand...
by Winepisser | Oct 28, 2017 | Quick Review
Grassy and citric like it should be, but lacking nearly any hint of fruit. It’s rare that I would say this, but this SB comes off as overdry for a Marlborough offering. Many might like that, though.
by Winepisser | Oct 8, 2017 | Quick Review
This year proved to be a huge year for New Zealand SBs, with dozens of them reviewed recently. It’s no secret I am a fan. This Stoneleigh from Marlborough, which I am pretty sure is where the Garden of Eden once existed, throws off a blast of lemon and fresh cut...
by Winepisser | Oct 2, 2017 | Quick Review
Unique blend of white SB with red carmenere which creates an alien hybrid worthy of a Ridley Scott film. The SB dominates but the carmy adds a nice fruity finish to the grassy apple front end. A fussy wine though, and did not pair well at all with either chicken or...
by Winepisser | Sep 17, 2017 | Quick Review
Sometimes you encounter a bad wine pairing and this was one of them. Since I prepared the food, I thus blame the wine. This tasted of sour apple and petrol, which is never good. Had none of the usual SB aspects, except for a touch of grassiness. Not recommended.
by Winepisser | Sep 16, 2017 | Quick Review
Slightly more lively than the 2014 vintage but not much so. Lacks almost all of the characteristics of SB bit has a hint of apple. Generally unexciting.
by Winepisser | Sep 15, 2017 | Quick Review
Wildly erratic, I have had bottles of the same vintage that were dull and flat, and others that were flavorful. This review found a generally good glass, with aspects of apple and green pepper, which paired very well with a tame chicken and rice dish. Your mileage...
by Winepisser | Aug 31, 2017 | Quick Review
Very nice with a perfect balance of grassy goodness and fruit, without either overdoing it. A great example of the miracle that is Marlborough sauvignon blanc. Easy minerality too, so it avoids the cat pee that turns off some SB fans. Nice bite. Recommended.
by Winepisser | Aug 25, 2017 | Quick Review
Now that’s more like it! The 2014 vintage left me wanting (review here) but this one is a knockout. Nice straw and cat scents without one dominating the other with a great balance of light, bright fruit and gravely minerals. Medium dry. Highly recommended.
by Winepisser | Aug 25, 2017 | Quick Review
Much better than the 2016 vintage (review here), this one hits enough of the right notes to earn a recommendation, albeit a cautious one. Tart fruit would benefit from more gravely minerals, but it’s nevertheless a very nice glass. I paired this with a steak...
