I like Sauvignon Blanc. I mean I really like Sauvignon Blanc. It is one of my favorite white varieties and one that I find myself enjoying often as the weather turns warmer. However, despite this enjoyment of the grape, I don’t find the wines to be profound, earth-shattering, roll-down-your-socks experiences. It is what it is: a great, warm weather quaffer that pairs easily with food. Hooray for Sauvignon Blanc. You may never get 92 points from me, but you’ll always be on my buy list and in my cellar.

Here we have two Sauvignon Blancs from Old World and New. The French “competitor” came in slightly ahead, literally by a nose. It won at first sniff.

2008 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc – New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough (5/13/2010) Lemon grass, fresh mowed hay, and grapefruit combine in this very dry, enjoyable wine. Good, balanced acidity keeps it from being heavy but I find very little else to note on this wine beyond saying it is the perfect example of a NZ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. It could be a teaching tool in a wine tasting class or a nice “go to” house white. Either way it fits the bill at about 15 bucks. (86 pts.)

2008 Château La Rame Sauvignon Blanc Sec – France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée (5/13/2010) Vibrant floral aromas backed up by tart lemon peel and apricot flavors. Silly me… I didn’t notice the fine print “Sauvignon Blanc Sec” but pegged the variety anyway. Tell-tale grassiness is present, but not heavy. This expressive and enjoyable wine is a good value at the $15 I paid retail and would make quite the enjoyable summer house white wine. (87 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker on GrapeStories.com