2008 Honig Sauvignon Blanc – $15

This Napa wine was described to me at a tasting event recently by the wine rep as “fragrant, pea blossom and gooseberry flavors with an almond skin finish”. Yeah – where to start? It’s the absolute CRAP that made us want to start this site to begin with. Let’s break that down:

“Fragrant” – it smells like something? No kidding? Flowers are fragrant. So is a cigar. Which is this closer to?

“Pea  blossom and gooseberry flavors” – a WHAT-berry? I don’t know what a pea blossom is, let alone tasted one, and the last time I had a gooseberry was, well, NEVER.

“Almond skin finish” – I know what an almond tastes like, does its skin taste like that? Why not just say “it tastes like an almond”? My girlfriend has OLIVE skin, and that’s pretty tasty – is it like that?

First of all, I don’t like when reps describe the wine BEFORE I’m done with it. They could say anything – “chocolate”, for example – now it’s in my head and that’s all I will taste.

Eventually the rep closed his mouth and poured. Luckily I can taste the wine for myself and let you know what I think it smells and tastes like using real words that are easily understood by the 99.9% of wine drinkers that are NOT master sommeliers.

Sauv Blancs are known for their grassy notes – this one was no exception. Piles of straw, grassy fields and freshly-squeezed limes on the nose with all kinds of crisp, clean, fresh peach, ripe apple and zesty citrus flavors finish up with lingering melons and mango.

Sauv Blanc is also SOOOOOO food-friendly. Drink it with spicy Asian food, chili, Thai food, artichoke dip or Caesar salad.

2008 Babich Sauvignon Blanc – $13

Sourced from two vineyards in Marlborough, New Zealand this is not the ultra fruit forward Sauvignon Blanc that N.Z. is known for. The nose is crisp and clean, very enticing, some pineapple, some grassy aromas and a bit of a mineral smell. This would make a great aroma candle.

The taste is mellow on the fruit, muted green apple, some tropical fruit with a tart acidity on the back of the palate. The Babich is a very food friendly wine, strong enough and well structured enough to stand up to food you may not always drink white wine with. This reminds me  of the Sauvignon Blanc’s from the Loire Valley in France. A very likable wine at a very reasonable price.

2008 Groth Sauvignon Blanc – $19

While you’re out enjoying the last flings of Summer ‘09 this weekend, give this beautiful Sauv Blanc out of Napa Valley a whirl in your glass. It has a rich honey color and smells like you’re cutting limes and honeydew melon on the same cutting board for some type of crazy citrus and melon sangria! Crisp and refreshing, it tastes like you licked a Green Apple Jolly Rancher – just a little – right after taking a big bite out of a freshly-picked pear.

I really like this grower. They practice sustainable farming, which is even a step further than organic farming, and have been family-owned and operated since 1981.

It’s $18.99 – try it with your BBQ chicken while you’re playing bags with your friends, or even just with your Jimmy John’s #4.

Get it HERE.

Spier Sauvignon Blanc 2007

On the nose I get a little bit of lemon and grass.

The taste I get more of the lemon and grass with a touch of seltzer water texture.  This wine is not bubbly but you get that taste and feel to it.  There is maybe a little pear on the front of the palate but the finish kinda reminds me of cleaning solvent followed by a little bit of sweetness.  Not much good going on here.

I had this wine last night and tonight with the same results so I’m pretty confident in my opinions.  This wine is very smooth and drinkable but its not my favorite.

Price: $10
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
County: South Africa
Cheap Wine Rating: 81

Buy it here: Corpwines.com

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Now here is a wine where I really did not like the label. In fact I hate this label. What are they thinking? You can’t really see it from the image I’m using but the presentation of this bottle makes it looks Read more