Happy International Sauvignon Blanc Day
The first Friday of May is International Sauvignon Blanc Day.
Time to pour yourself a glass and celebrate.
Sauvignon Blanc thrives greatly in the cool climates of Australia and can range from light bodied to full and rich. To celebrate today I choose three different Sauvignons I had in my Cellar, two 2014 vintages and one from 1995 that has been sitting in our fridge awaiting the day we were brave enough to open it.
Rock it Like a Redhead today with a Jen Pfeiffer 2014 Sauvignon Blanc
Jen Pfeiffer grew up around wine from a young age. Her parents bought a property in Rutherglen in 1984 and that was the start of the wine life for Jen. After studying Science and Law at Melbourne University she went back to the vineyard to make vintage before planning a trip abroad. After being given the responsibility of the making the 2000 Pfeiffer Shiraz, for which she was rewarded with a gold medal, Jen continued on to create fantastic wine. I was first introduced to Jen's wine through Nakedwines, and have also been to the Cellar door when I visited Rutherglen a few years ago on a holiday. She makes some fantastic wine and body warming fortifieds. Today I opened a bottle of her 2014 Sauvignon Blanc. Fresh and bright notes of kiwi and lime hit you nose and then burst into life when the wine hits your tongue. There is a really good balance of acidity, it's there but just enough to set your tastebuds on alight. No residual sugar, so if you like a sweeter style of wine then I wouldn't quite recommend this but it is a great wine for those looking for a bit of zest. I haven't been disappointed by one of her wines yet and this is no exception. A great wine to help celebrate today.
There is nothing small about the flavour in this wine.
Small and Small Sylvia Reserve 2014 Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc
Bill and Claudia Small are a Husband and Wife winemaking team. They met whilst studying winemaking at the Adelaide university, Claudia is trained in viticulture and Bill is the winemaker of the duo. After traveling around the world they have settled down in Marlborough, New Zealand to create fantastic wine, including this great Sauvignon Blanc. The Sylvia Reserve is named after their daughter Sylvia born in 2010, the same year as the inaugural vintage of this wine. On the nose I got hints of green grass, passionfruit and citrus such as lemon and lime. A good burst of acidity, with hints of pineapple, papaya and that fresh burst of lime zest. Again another wine that is dry and crisp whilst still being fruity, there isn't any sweetness here either, just a well balance and delicious wine. You can find their wines on Nakedwines and a voucher for the website here - Naked Wine Voucher
21 year old Wolf Blass 1995 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
My partner and I have had this wine sitting in our fridge for almost two years. Previously it was sitting in a box somewhere in his parents place, and then was passed onto us. It is always an interesting experience opening an old wine, especially one that is 21 years old. I had a seriously difficult time opening this as the cork just crumbled into nothing and currently part of it is floating in the bottle. I had to strain it when I was pouring it into a glass because there were a few bits of cork floating around. I was honestly super surprised that I wasn't overwhelmed with the smell of vinegar when I took a sniff. There was a very faint tropical smell, a hint of apricot and almost a dash of honey. As it warms up the smell deepens and there is some oxidative notes but it isn't unpleasant. The colour of the wine is a beautiful honey gold, deepening over time. When you compare it to the 2014 wines you can see just how much the colour has changed, It has a colour similar to a botrytis style wine. The wine is still quite fresh when cold, and has a touch of citrus acidity but once it starts warming up there is more of the oxidative characteristics. I wouldn't say this wine is bad but I know for some people it wouldn't be drinkable, but I knew what to expect going in and knew that the wine would have changed quite a lot after so many years. It is a testament to the wine maker that this has stood the test of time and while changed, is still an enjoyable drop. Whilst you wont be able to find this particular year, unless you have some hidden away in your Cellar, you can head to their website to grab some of their wine today.
Happy International Sauvignon Blanc Day
Lets raise a glass together.
Cheers
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