It's cool when something lives up to great hype! I've heard New Zealand Sauvignon blancs praised by Gary Vanerchuk and others for a while as a great style. I finally tried one over the weekend and was very happy to find this style so agreeable.
Appropriately, my first New Zealand wine came from the countries largest wine producing region: the Marlborough (the little green lamma-head on the map of New Zealand shown to the left.) Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has played a big roll in establishing New Zeland as a great wine producting area. The particular wine I tried was from Kim Crawford. When Kim Crawford was established in 1996, they didn't have their own vineyards yet. They sourced grapes from other growers and even made their wine at other people's facilities. They now have their own facilities where they grow grapes and press wine. This family business makes Sauvignon Blancs, Chardonnays, Rieslings and many other wines that are favored by the climate of the region.
When I first sniffed the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, I was struck by the sharpness of the wine. It also reminded me of a Riesling more than a Sauvignon Blanc. It may be its acidity or its flavors, but the aroma was very pleasant. Sipping the wine, I found more of the crispness mixed with pineapple, grapefruit and a great minerality. This wine made me want to keep sipping it to taste the great mix of flavors and acidity. It went well with the home-made breaded chicken strips my wife had prepared for our evening meal.
The tropical flavors combined with the minerality or acidity (I can't figure out which) makes this wine a great sipper. I want to try the Kim Crawfor un-oaked Chardonnay to see how that grape is influenced by the Southern Hemishere climate. If you've tried and enjoyed a different New Zealand SB, please let me know!
Tasting Notes:
Color: Light, pale yellow
Aroma: Pineapple and minerals
Taste: Pineapple, grapefruit, minerals
Finish: Very light finish, mostly fruit
3 comments:
You should definitely try this with some fresh chevre! The goat cheese transforms a NZ sauv blanc from great to outstanding.
I had the chardonnay a couple weeks ago. It's pretty good if you like chardonnays.
Greg,
Thanks for the comment. I'll be sure to try the chevre and the Chardonnay. Don't know if I like chevre but I defenitely like Chardonnay.
Never had a Kim Crawford SB I haven't liked--and I think that's an 8-year track record or close to it. They are great, easy to find, and affordable. Who could ask for more?
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