Tasting Notes for July 16, 2005

Similar to last week, this was a blind tasting of 12 Sauvignon Blancs. I wasn't overly impressed with most of them, and a few had really horrible aftertastes. Some of these I've tasted before, but they're scattered all over the place, and none really merit metalinks.

Wine 1: 2004 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. Marlborough, New Zealand. A lot of grapefruit with a good rounded flavor. Fruit explosion. $15.

Wine 2: 2004 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc. South Africa. Just a bit of lemon flavor and aroma, but with a thin feel. Not bad, but pricy. $20.

Wine 3: 2004 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc. Marlborough, New Zealand. Grapefruit flavors, but a little boring. Rough aftertaste. $11.

Wine 4: 2004 Charles Krug Sauvignon Blanc. Napa, California. This may have been an off bottle, but I was getting this weird sweaty, musky aroma off the top of the glass. It wasn't me or anyone around me, and the wine didn't taste weird, but it was hard to get past that smell. $16.

Wine 5: 2004 Famiglia Bianchi Sauvignon Blanc. Mendoza, Argentina. I've had this wine before and enjoyed it, but this bottle fell flat. $15.

Wine 6: 2003 Yorkville Sauvignon Blanc. Mendocino, California. Powerful aroma of motor oil, with terrible chemical flavors. Oddly, this is a certified organic wine. $13.

Wine 7: 2003 Vacheron Sancerre. Loire Valley, France. Well balanced, a bit of a rough aftertaste. Otherwise a solid but uninteresting wine. $30.

Wine 8: 2004 Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc. Sonoma, California. I found this one sour and bitter, with a very harsh aftertaste. My previous experience with this bottle was far more positive. $17.

Wine 9: 2004 Kathryn Kennedy Sauvignon Blanc. Santa Cruz, California. Good grapefruit flavors, tart and dry. Very refreshing, but that price... $25.

Wine 10: 2003 Castle Rock Sauvignon Blanc. Napa, California. Little bits of butter and toasted marshmellow aromas on top, but the wine overall doesn't really stand out. $10.

Wine 11: 2003 Verget St. Bris. Burgundy, France. No real aroma, no fruit, tasted thin and bitter. Maybe I was just way off this day... $20.

Wine 12: 2003 Paradise Ridge Sauvignon Blanc. Sonoma, California. Sweet and tart, with bright citrus flavors and aromas. Good one. $18.