Ideas for Sauvigon Blanc tasting?

[Brian_G_r_a_f_s_t_r_o_m]

I would recommend including one from S. Africa. De Wetshof has a couple, and both should be under $20. S.B. is wonderful. Have fun!

[Rauno_E_NZ]

I would second getting wines from different regions - perhaps Loire (Dagueneau!), NZ, SA, Bdx and something local

[J_Murphy]

So my event is two weeks away and I finalizing my list of 5 bottles to get.

I was just at the Redwood City Costco and see that they have the following:

Chateau De Thauvenay Sancerre $14.99
Hanna Russian River $12.99
Whitehaven $12.99
Cloudy Bay $23.99
Freemark Abbey Napa $15.99
Greywacke $16.99
Long Meadow Ranch Napa $14.99
Dry Creek $11.49
Are any of these worth considering?

[Nathan_Smyth]

There are some obvious selection bias & confirmation bias problems with Cellar Tracker, not to mention the Madness of Crowds, but, by and large, most of the people there tend to be fairly decent tasters.

Greywacke is the only label which has ever cracked the 90pt barrier for a single vintage at Cellar Tracker.

Chateau De Thauvenay Sancerre $14.99
[u]Site verification

Hanna Russian River $12.99
[u]Site verification

Whitehaven $12.99
[u]Site verification

Cloudy Bay $23.99
[u]Site verification

Freemark Abbey Napa $15.99
[u]Site verification

Greywacke $16.99
[u]Site verification

Long Meadow Ranch Napa $14.99
[u]Site verification

Dry Creek $11.49
???
There’s a Dry Creek Valley agricultural area, but Cellar Tracker doesn’t seem to have an estate called “Dry Creek”.

By and large, if you’ve got a choice between a CT 87pt vintage and a CT 89pt vintage, then you’re probably going to be able to tell the difference [so, for instance, pay attention to the vintage with the Thauvenay].

On the other hand, if every vintage seems to get pretty much the same score, year after year after year [cough CLOUDY BAY cough], then you’re probably dealing with an industrial product, such as Coca-Cola or Sprite or Penfolds Grange, and the vintage simply won’t matter all that much.

[Nathan_Smyth]

There are some third-party scripts on this page right now which are making it almost impossible to post anything.

Or even just to scroll down the page trying to read it.

[Drew_Goin]

@J Murphy

So my event is two weeks away and I finalizing my list of 5 bottles to get.

I was just at the Redwood City Costco and see that they have the following:

Chateau De Thauvenay Sancerre $14.99
Hanna Russian River $12.99
Whitehaven $12.99
Cloudy Bay $23.99
Freemark Abbey Napa $15.99
Greywacke $16.99
Long Meadow Ranch Napa $14.99
Dry Creek $11.49
Are any of these worth considering?

Ah, I have not heard Hanna mentioned in many, many years! That and the Dry Creek are great choices!


If I could jump in the way-back machine with Dr Peabody, I would have mentioned Brander!!!

[J_Murphy]

@Nathan Smyth

There are some obvious selection bias & confirmation bias problems with Cellar Tracker, not to mention the Madness of Crowds, but, by and large, most of the people there tend to be fairly decent tasters.

Greywacke is the only label which has ever cracked the 90pt barrier for a single vintage at Cellar Tracker.

Chateau De Thauvenay Sancerre $14.99
[u]Site verification

Hanna Russian River $12.99
[u]Site verification

Whitehaven $12.99
[u]Site verification

Cloudy Bay $23.99
[u]Site verification

Freemark Abbey Napa $15.99
[u]Site verification

Greywacke $16.99
[u]Site verification

Long Meadow Ranch Napa $14.99
[u]Site verification

Dry Creek $11.49
???
There’s a Dry Creek Valley agricultural area, but Cellar Tracker doesn’t seem to have an estate called “Dry Creek”.

Its Dry Creek Vineyard
https://store.drycreekvineyard.com/product/2017-Sauvignon-Blanc

By and large, if you’ve got a choice between a CT 87pt vintage and a CT 89pt vintage, then you’re probably going to be able to tell the difference [so, for instance, pay attention to the vintage with the Thauvenay].

On the other hand, if every vintage seems to get pretty much the same score, year after year after year [cough CLOUDY BAY cough], then you’re probably dealing with an industrial product, such as Coca-Cola or Sprite or Penfolds Grange, and the vintage simply won’t matter all that much.

[J_Murphy]

K&L has both the 2015 ($24.99) and 2017 ($19.99) Greywackle

Does age help this wine? If so I would get the 2015.

seems like the ratings on the 2015 are a good bit higher

http://www.klwines.com/Products/r?d=0&r=0&p=0&o=-1&t=greywackle

[Nathan_Smyth]

Wine Spectator stops at 2015:

[u]http://www.winespectator.com/vintagecharts/search/id/search/id/search/id/48[/u]

Jancis Robinson goes to 2017:

[u]https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/vintages/new-zealand[/u]

They both seem to like 2015.

[Nathan_Smyth]

@J Murphy

K&L has both the 2015 ($24.99) and 2017 ($19.99) Greywackle

Okay, those look like two different wines - the 2017 looks like a basic SB, whereas the 2015 looks like a slightly more upscale “Special Selection” SB.

Here are the CT ratings for that “Wild” label:

[u]https://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp?Table=List&Wine=Greywacke+Sauvignon+Blanc+Wild[/u]

Statistically speaking, year in and year out, it definitely looks like the “Wild” is a step up from the basic bottling.

So with any luck, better vintage + better label should be worth the extra $5 investment.

[OTOH, if you’re AFWE, then you might prefer lesser vintage + lesser label, but that’s highly unlikely to be the preference of anyone in your tasting group.]

[James_Wright]

@Gerhard P.

@Karl K

Oh yes Austrian SB - good idea.

Have not had Weingut Gross but Glatzer is excellent!

A Sauvignon bl. tasting without Austrian wines (from Styria) is no real Sauvignon bl. tasting …

although i think the most impressive Sauvignon Blanc from Austria
year-in, year-out, young or well-aged
is the Steinmühle from Kollwentz in Burgenland…

but then again, you are from Graz, so likely to favour the Steiermark…

[Jim_Stewart]

If you are looking for a number of drastically different Sancerres you could consider having the following:

A typical steel-fermented one from for example Boulay or F. Cotat
Alphonse Mellot Generation XIX (fairly big with some oak)
Sebastien Riffault Akméniné (the freaky end of the appellation)

Hey Ilkka , I’m replying to this old post of yours because tonight we opened an Alphonse Mellot La Moussiere Sancerre Blanc and the taste profile is very different from what I am used to in Sancerre Blanc. My previous many examples were uniformly marked by acid almost to the point of electricity sometimes, a citrus fruit profile, crisp and mineral. This La Moussiere is almost unrecognizable to me as a Sancerre: round versus crisp, muted acid, fruit profile to the riper almost sweet side and non-citrus to me. Also seemed to have some spiciness maybe from some oak. I was going to explain it by the vintage (this is a 2018) but I found your post looking for previous comments about Alphonse Mellot. I am now thinking maybe this is just a different style of Sancerre Blanc, that I have not experienced? Any thoughts? Thanks.

P.S. While this Sancerre is different from my previous experiences, I like this style and the wine “works” for me. I just have broadened my idea of Sancerre maybe.

[Kirk.Grant]

@Doug Schulman

I would choose Sauvignon Blancs from all different regions. Be sure to taste them all before food is served. The taste of the food and even the smell of it will affect your perception of the wines. I’d also suggest a very low spice level or, if that doesn’t sound good, maybe a different type of food like some sort of simple, citrusy seafood.

Very good advice. Tasting before and after is always very informative. Also agree on choosing low spice level dishes (such as pad thai) for this pairing.

I agree…I would definitely be tasting the wines before the food to see the difference the food has.

I think the ideas mentioned tasting Sauvignon Blanc from four different countries…it should be fun & informative.

[Chris_Blum]

For learning tastings, I like to set up obvious contrasts. So for Suav Blanc, I’d do lean citrus vs ripe tropical fruits and then maybe oak vs stainless? Or better yet…Loire vs New Zealand

[IlkkaL]

If you are looking for a number of drastically different Sancerres you could consider having the following:

A typical steel-fermented one from for example Boulay or F. Cotat
Alphonse Mellot Generation XIX (fairly big with some oak)
Sebastien Riffault Akméniné (the freaky end of the appellation)

Hey Ilkka , I’m replying to this old post of yours because tonight we opened an Alphonse Mellot La Moussiere Sancerre Blanc and the taste profile is very different from what I am used to in Sancerre Blanc. My previous many examples were uniformly marked by acid almost to the point of electricity sometimes, a citrus fruit profile, crisp and mineral. This La Moussiere is almost unrecognizable to me as a Sancerre: round versus crisp, muted acid, fruit profile to the riper almost sweet side and non-citrus to me. Also seemed to have some spiciness maybe from some oak. I was going to explain it by the vintage (this is a 2018) but I found your post looking for previous comments about Alphonse Mellot. I am now thinking maybe this is just a different style of Sancerre Blanc, that I have not experienced? Any thoughts? Thanks.

P.S. While this Sancerre is different from my previous experiences, I like this style and the wine “works” for me. I just have broadened my idea of Sancerre maybe.

Hi Jim,

First of all happy to hear you enjoyed it! Mellot’s entry level Sancerre is not supposed to be anything as singular and atypically Sancerre as the Generation XIX but a comparison I have used is that I have found it to be to the average Sancerre what Raveneau is to the average Chablis. By this I mean that it has way more texture and a less pronounced varietal/appellational fruit character. However it needs to be said that I do have my worries when it comes to the 2018 vintage in many French regions and I think I will be personally focusing on more classic vintages when possible.

[Leonard_Maran]

I was in a tasting group for 15 years which met every month. Now, granted, this group had cheeses and bread. However we hated all Sauvignon Blanc tastings (and I like the variety) until members stopped showing up and we abandoned them.

[IlkkaL]

I was in a tasting group for 15 years which met every month. Now, granted, this group had cheeses and bread. However we hated all Sauvignon Blanc tastings (and I like the variety) until members stopped showing up and we abandoned them.

I don’t blame you/them really. I like to drink Sauvignon with freshwater fish but generally speaking I don’t think there is anything particularly interesting about the grape.

[Nathan_Smyth]

Northern Italy/Slovenia

From Slovenia, see if you can find “Villa Brici”, by “Vinska Klet Goriska Brda”.

And on the German side of things, you want to be prepared to walk over broken glass to procure a bottle of Von Winning’s “Trocken II” Sauvignon Blanc.

If Brian Buzzini were to see this thread, then he would want you to throw in some obscure bottling of a Robert Mondavi “Fume Blanc” as a ringer.

Sadly, I don’t know what to say about Vatan or Dagueneau these days - I don’t run in those circles anymore [I wish I did, but I don’t].

[Robert_Sand]

If this is intended to be a fun learning experience for people who are interested in wine but might not have a lot of experience, then how about French, California, New Zealand and Northern Italy/Slovenia examples? Then people can decide what they like and don’t like. There will be (should be…could be?) wild variations.

It would be a shame to have a Slovenian / Italian SB - and NO Austrian from Styria, some of the best world wide.

For Bordeaux I would opt for Pessac-Leognan only, and dry versions.

[Chris_Blum]

I was in a tasting group for 15 years which met every month. Now, granted, this group had cheeses and bread. However we hated all Sauvignon Blanc tastings (and I like the variety) until members stopped showing up and we abandoned them.

I don’t blame you/them really. I like to drink Sauvignon with freshwater fish but generally speaking I don’t think there is anything particularly interesting about the grape.

Try well-aged Dagueneau and tell me it doesn’t change your opinion.