Quick! Think about the grape varietal called Sauvignon Blanc. Can you taste it in your mouth? What are the flavors?
In the last few years, most Americans have come to think of Sauvignon Blanc in the style that New Zealand made popular. What is that style? Well, many describe it as “cat’s pee.” Others say “gooseberry” – as if any (American, at least) really knows what that means. Sommeliers and wine snobs say “pink” grapefruit with an emphasis on the pink, as if to differentiate it from the yellow grapefruit of other regions. In any event, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has quite a bit of acidity, grassy notes, and is very citrus-oriented.
So now that I am looking at California Sauvignon Blanc wines, I find a dramatically different flavor profile. What are the differences? Every wine is different depending on the terroir and the vintage. It is impossible to generalize, but if in a blind tasting I detect a lot of yellow-fleshed fruit (peaches, apricots, nectarines) and a bit lower acidity than a Kiwi (read New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc, I might guess California. Many also have a floral nose that makes it seem as if the wine will taste off-dry (it doesn’t). Often California wines have tropical fruit characteristics as well (think mango, kiwi, even banana). Unlike New Zealand, many producers also seem to let their wines age on the lees (dead yeast cells) and even age a percentage of the wine in new or used French oak.
Washington State wines have their own flavor profile. The temperature is cooler than California, letting the grapes retain more acidity. And there is a larger diurnal difference between the sunny but cool days and chilly nights, which helps the grapes retain more flavor. One can not generalize, but I’ve also noted more yellow-fleshed fruit characteristics in Washington State wine than the racy citrus present in New Zealand wine.
I just now opened a Columbia Crest Grand Estates Sauvignon Blanc from Washington’s Columbia valley and am rather surprised – and pleased – by the notes of succulent, intensely ripe peaches on the nose, with more peaches and even mango on the palate. Acidity here is just medium (whereas most Sauvignon Blanc wines are medium plus), yet this is enough to give the wine some zip and prevent the perception of sweetness from becoming cloying.
This is the style of white wine everyone, it seems, will universally like and seems as if it was made to serve as an aperitif, before food, or with the types of dishes typically served at a Sunday brunch, such as a quiche, fruit tart, muffins, and omelets.
The winemakers attribute the wine’s rich fruit flavor to the vintage. The mild winter allowed the vines to remain in good shape through the cold months, then in May, two weeks before bloom, temperatures spiked to 100 degrees for a week. This heat spike led to a smaller canopy which allowed for more light penetration.
Another factor is the method of vinification. Extreme caution is taken to prevent malolactic fermentation to preserve the crisp acid and fresh flavors. A portion of the finished wine was aged in barrels to add complexity to the mouth-feel.
As for the vineyards, they are seated near the east of the Cascade Mountain range, up to 14,000 feet high. These mountains effectively block the eastward-moving wet weather systems from the Pacific Ocean, rendering the area a virtual desert. Vineyards are 100% drip irrigation.
A good wine for a very attractive $13.00 price!
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