2009 Frenzy Sauvignon Blanc

Pear & honeysuckle on the nose, very light with a citrus finish. Grapefruit and grassy tones dominate. A bit of saltiness in the finish that I didn't expect.

I picked this up at the local Total Wine for around $10. As I was carrying the bottle around the store, I ran into a work friend who is a graphic designer. He couldn't believe I'd ever buy a bottle of wine that used this awful font on the label. He picks his wines strictly by label design. I'll say he's going to miss out on this excellent bottle, but to each his own.

Good purchase: 8/10 rating and that makes my top inexpensive wine list.

I'm still saying to stick to the New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs vs. California if you like the more light, citrus & crisp vs. sweeter and golden. Cheers!

Clifford Bay 2009 Pinot Noir

Ah, after a long week, this one hits the spot. This is my second good wine in as many nights - last night at Elway's Steakhouse in Denver, the Nickel & Nickel 2006 Zinfandel was a nice, dry accompaniment to my bone-in filet.

This Pinot Noir dances vibrantly on the tongue. Heavy grapefruit influences. Light in color, floral blossoms on the nose. A bit tart as it tingles on the start. It's a nice light wine and makes for good sipping. For $10 at Costco, I'll give it a 7/10 as it's pretty unique and of good quality. My only complaint is it gets jammy in the finish after a glass or two.

I'm not sure I've had a Pinot Noir wine from New Zealand, but I like this. With Spring oh so close, I plan to drain my share of Marlborough vino...but of the Sauvignon Blanc family.

2009 Kirkland Ti Point Sauvignon Blanc

Another test to see if Costco's private label can roll with the big names of the wine industry. For $8, this is another winner as it easily drinks as as $12-13 sauvignon blanc.

Definitely one of the sweeter Marlborough sauvignon blancs I've tasted and would have certainly guessed this a California version in a blind taste test. My wife is a fan of the more citrus-y, so quickly dismissed the peach and honey overtones.

I'll rate it a 7/10, but with the caveat that you like the sweeter (vs. citrus sour) version of this varietal. With not many days to enjoy to enjoy this summer sippin' wine, the last of the season was a winner.

Allan Scott 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Wine

The only thing disappointing about this wine is the crappy picture I took of it. Especially because I’m placing it on my top tier list, so I’m placing this picture with the best inexpensive wines I’ve tasted. The rating was a high 7/low 8 – and with the low price tag, 8/10 it is. I’m going to grab a few bottles on my next trip – great light and crisp wine for the summer.

There are a few snobby wine habits I’ve picked up over the years; one being only drinking Sauvignon Blanc hailing from Marlborough, New Zealand. This typically doesn’t fail, might want to write that one down (cally sav generally being much sweeter and less citrus). Alan Scott did not disappoint…in fact was a bit surprised that a $12 wine was so enjoyable. I’m finding the ‘staff picks’ from Total Wine are pretty reliable – and they don’t seem to be used to push products with high margins/inventory. This sauvignon blanc was one gal’s pick, and I’d thank her if I remembered her name ;)

The citrus/lime flavors are somewhat masked by the sweeter aromas of peach. The lingering finish is great (somewhat creamy even); it’s not the gummy/lime flavor that many sauvignon blancs in this price range have. Don’t pass this one up!

Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc 2009

A very light sauvignon blanc on the start but a long, fruitful finish. The citrus isn’t overwhelming and the light, crisp nature really makes this a nice selection. Lemon is the main flavor in that lasting finish but tart apple hints keep this interesting. Much like a Corona with lime, the first 5 taste great, but after a while you need to change it up after the citrus takes over.

With a thunderstorm knocking out our power, I was happy to have this chilled and ready to help ride the storm out.

We found this wine at Costco for $9. It was rated 87 points by someone with a better palatte than I. I’ll be grabbing a few more bottles of these on my next visit. 7/10; great price.

Mud House 2008 Sauvignon Blanc

$17 at Sam's Wine. I believe this one was on their Top 100 Wines of 2008 list as it's a good one. I haven't met many Sauvignon Blancs from Marlborough, NZ that I haven't enjoyed. In fact, I need to stop wasting my time with Sauvignon Blancs from the US. If you do some price shopping online, it can be found for around $10-14, which would put this in the best inexpensive wines group. I'm convinced Sam's is overpriced, especially on their Top 100 wines.

I'd like to say thanks to Mud House for the handy guide on the back which has three sections: Nose, Palate, & Food Match. That's right, a cheat sheet on the label - brilliant! Zippy and tart lime flavors stand out, but it starts out very smooth. Worked out well with the Fresh Market crab cakes.

Oyster Bay 2007 Sauvignon Blanc

This was the finest bottle of Sauvignon Blanc the grocery store had to offer - coming in at $13. I grabbed this one for an outdoor sit while I was in Naples, FL over the holiday break, and was a big fan. Lively, crisp fruit without being overly sweet. According to other reviews on the 'net, Oyster Bay is the most popular white wine from New Zealand. 7/10 rating, a nice surprise!

2007 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc

Far from Marlborough New Zealand, in the shadow of the Sears tower (that's it in the background of the pic), this wine is being enjoyed with some grilled chicken, broccoli, and cous cous. Sauvignon Blanc is not really a fall wine, but the immediate sweetness and intensity reminded me of a riesling, which is far more appropriate for this time of year.

The citrus acidity brought a nice zing in the finish, but left a bit of a gummy palate after the finish. The label speaks of a bell pepper flavor, which is a bit of a stretch. For $10, I'll put this at average with a 5 out of 10 ranking. A bit sweet for me. The wife gave it a 6.5...but it's not her blog ;)

2007 Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

My first review of a 2007 wine...I feel like Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack when he rejects the vintage wine and demands to be brought 'something more recent'.

After the first sip, I question why I haven't been drinking more Sauvignon Blanc this summer. The cool, crisp, refreshing flavors are perfect for this time of year - and the Kim Crawford didn't disappoint. Strong aromas and intense flavors of apple and pear which are also found in the finish. A tad citrus-y (lime?) in the finish which makes it juuuust a tad gummy. A few other reviewers tasted passionfruit and gooseberry...but I call BS as no one knows what those taste like. ;)

8/10 rating gets this summer treat into my best of the best inexpensive wine category. $13 at Costco for this beaut.

Kim Crawford 2006 Pino Noir

Kim is from Marlborough, New Zealand, and her Sauvignon Blanc popularity certainly overshadows her reds. In fact, I wasn't even aware she produced a Pinot Noir. Floral and grapefruit on the nose followed by a very smooth sip of a light wine. Flavors of subtle grapefruit with strawberries and cherry - Good finish. Went well with my Firecracker Salmon and edamame...but the cherry became a bit much with the second glass.

$12.50 at Costco. 6/10 rating, happy with this selection but not thrilled. And disregard my reflection in the bottle pic. ;)

Saint Clair Pioneer Block Pinot Noir

AWineAWeek_2008-03-30_1
Originally uploaded by jeff+caroline

I was on a quest to find a wine my cedar plank salmon wouldn't overpower. The Saint Clair Sawcut 4 Pinot Noir, along with reducing some pepper, garlic, and shallots, seemed to work, but wasn't perfect. Pre-dinner, there were rave reviews but the spicy fish did take away from the complexities. Immediate flavors of black cherries & plum...even a cherry cola flavor. Oaky finish. For $22 at Costco, I expected a bit better, but still a solid 7.5/10 rating. Another "tin top" from NZ with good marks.

A non-dry Sauvignon Blanc? Matua Valley is it.

The color of the bottle made this a St. Paddy's Day winner. While walking my dog this afternoon, the realization of being a father set in. I passed at least 10 bars with lines around the corner - lines full of drunken leprechauns and other green oddities. The smell of beer and green barf was in the air indeed. ...and I was walking my dog ;)

So after fighting this mild depression with a few Guini (Guinesses isn't a word) I cooked a wonderful dinner of crab cakes and green beans and enjoyed this wine. If you live in Chicago and haven't discovered Dirk's Fish house on Clybourn, you are missing out - $5 cakes w/ a horseradish-mustard sauce on the side.

I digress: how was the wine? Excellent. Surprisingly not as dry as a typical Sauvignon Blanc and a bit tart - some bite on the sides of your tongue. A sweet finish. The bottle speaks of pear and gooseberry flavors, but I'd be lying if I knew what a gooseberry tasted like. It was a gift someone brought over, so I'm not sure where it can be found, but I saw it online for about $15 (p.s., you bring over wine, I'm going to look it up and judge it, so be careful). 7.5/10.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Water Color South Island Pinot Noir 2006

As you can see in the picture, the Water Color was very light. There was little smell or body to this Pinot Noir from the South Island of New Zealand. Sweet and fruity flavors. As we were waiting for someone to bust through the wall saying "oh yeah!", a grapefruit flavor was noticed in the finish. After that was pointed out, that's all I could taste. 7/10 rating, but if you are big into Pinot Noirs, give it a try as Sam's Wine called this "the best under $20 Pinot Noir we carry." We picked it up (and about 12 other bottles) at Sam's for $13. We typically enjoy full bodied/spicy wines, so the Pinot Noirs are rarely at the top of our list.

Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc

Last night, we had some friends over for dinner and served two bottles of wine. We started with white, 2006 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. Can't say enough good things about the Sauv Blanc from New Zealand. We've noticed all the bottles from the Marlborough region seem to have screw tops. Fine by us and the word on the street is to get over it as it's more effective.

Back to the Whitehaven - i'll give it an 8.5 out of 10 on the 'goodness' scale. Guest loved it as well. Picked it up at Costco for around $16. Not too dry or too fruity. Flowery (floral undertones) & crisp. Pretty sure there was some asparagus and pear flavors in there. What do i know...enjoyed by all and highly reco this one.