Today it’s a 2012 sauvignon blanc from France’s Sancerre region that goes for about $20.
Ahh, the French. They still won’t tell me what WINE I’m drinking. This being from Sancerre, it’s probably sauvignon blanc.
And it’s good. Far better than the super-tart Cupcake sauvignon blanc from New Zealand. But then again, it’s $20. Cupcake is $8. Read the rest of this entry »
Today we look at a 2011 sauvignon blanc from New Zealand’s Marlborough region which I bought for $25.
Have you ever driven an Audi A6? I have, once. It’s a great car — I mean truly great, in the most grand sense of the word — but in such a calm way. Its greatness kind of creeps up on you, over time. This is what I get from the 2011 Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc. Read the rest of this entry »
I praised the 2009 Anakena sauv blanc here.
Unfortunately, it is no longer recommended, or a Best Value. It tastes fine, but the current 2011 doesn’t grab me like the 2009 did. Waltz two feet down the aisle at Total Wine and pick up Cupcake 2011 sauv blanc for just $7.97, two pennies cheaper and better than our old friend Anakena.
Not recommended.
Hello! Today we review a 2011 sauvignon blanc from New Zealand’s Marlborough Valley, selling at Costco for just $7.89.
WOW do I ever like this wine. The 2011 Cupcake sauvignon blanc is a summer party hit — it has a fun name, a lighthearted yet classy label, and its taste is tangy and refreshing, with lemon, a little lime, and just a whisper of grapefruit and honeysuckle. It does nothing wrong, and with the crazy low price, this is kind of a big deal. In fact, why isn’t everybody talking about this? What is going on!? Why isn’t this wine on the FRONT PAGE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES? EVERY DAY?
I would like to humbly suggest that you hurry to Costco and buy as much of this little stunner as your family can afford. Or, to Total Wine, where it sells for a mere $7.97. Or anyplace you can find it, really. That guy at the slot machine is laughing because Cupcake 2011 sauvignon blanc is a Best Value winner, even at $12. And it is highly:
Recommended.
Today we will embark on a special series of “lackluster reviews” from your intrepid Wineguider, because I’m drinking all this wine, and I don’t have the time to really write proper reviews, so I sort of suck right now.
Our first, through no fault of CMS Winery, is 2009 CMS sauvignon blanc from Washington’s Columbia Valley, for around $10 – $12. It is made by Hedges family estate winery.
This wine is good, and it’s cheap, and you should buy it. There! Sorry for the lackluster review! But it’s the truth. CMS sauvignon blanc is:
– minerally
– dry-ish
… and has a fresh lime taste.
Yum. Recommended. 
Hi, how are you? I’m good but — well, there are some things I should tell you.
I wildly recommended the 2009 Tiefenbrunner pinot grigio, in this humdinger of a review right here. I stand by that review, but I have to say, the 2010 is not as good. It’s OK, but a bit lifeless, and I am just not digging it.
Second, for years now, I’ve been telling everybody how great and low-priced Nobilo sauvignon blanc is. (My fawning review of the 2009 is here.) At $11, it consistently tastes like a $20-ish wine. Well, the 2010 ain’t so hot. It’s lost some of that bursting-with-citrus magic. Coincidentally, it now sells at Total Wine for the absurdly low price of $7.47.
I am confident that Nobilo 2011 will stage a complete comeback.
Tiefenbrunner, I’m not as sure about, because I only got to know it last year. I am very hopeful that it will return to its 2009 glory days as well.
Until then, these charmers are “Not recommended.” Cheers,
Wineguider
This 2009 sauvignon blanc is from California and it costs — I don’t know. I’ll Google it, and tell you at the end of the review. (As usual, the price will be a big factor in whether I recommend it or not.)
HEY! Sipping it for the first time, and it’s really nice. Lemon, lime, floral tastes, organic, juicy, natural, a bit complex, a little bit sweet, and even a little minerally . . . also a bit of that “green grass” taste that sauv. blancs deliver . . . but overall, I can’t say enough good things about this white wine. It’s not super clean or crisp, because it’s just so flavorful, and it has that slightly sweet undertone. But it’s still very, very drinkable.
Full disclosure: I got this free. (Which is why I have no idea what it costs.) I received it from the folks at Mason Cellars, who are famous for their sauvignon blancs. And I can see why. This lovely white wine is FUN. I want more of it, right now!
OK, time to risk looking like a fool: I’m going to GUESS what this wine costs. Ummmm . . . I’ll say, . . . $18 — even though I’m thinking it could really be worth more. And the real cost is . . .
[Google search] . . .
HOLY COW IT’S TEN BUCKS! What!?? Nice!! BUYBUYBUYBUY!! There you go — this wine is highly recommended. Cheers!
Today we look at a California sauvignon blanc from 2009 that will cost you between $9 and $12.
Bogle is a winery that I really like, although I’ve only reviewed their chardonnay here, and it didn’t get a recommendation. But the first sip of their sauvignon blanc signalled a change in direction: my first reaction was, “I want more of this.”
And I still want more, especially at $9.50. It’s smooth, and has flavors of lemon, lime, grapefruit and a tangy minerality. Yet it’s also slightly sweet (for a sauvignon blanc), with a soothing hint of melon. Because of that quiet melon, it’s not as “clean” as some sauvignon blancs, but neither does it choke you with green grass flavor (even though Bogle lists “freshly cut grass” first in its tasting note!).
OK Wineguider, that’s great, but at only $9.50, what’s the catch? Well, no catch really, other than a slight bit of flatness and lack of complexity, compared to more expensive bottles. Which you would expect. Bogle sauvignon blanc is a solid, admirable performer. (I still want more. . . .) Your Wineguider hereby decrees that this light and easy white is:
Recommended.
This review has been updated here.
Today we review a white wine from Chile that costs only $8. I found it at Total Wine.
Anakena’s price is what makes it hot. There just aren’t many $8 wines that taste this normal and civilized. This 2009 sauvignon blanc is light, and a little bit tart and minerally. It tastes more round and slightly sweeter than some sauvignon blancs. It has some pleasant citrus, but it’s not a mouth-puckering All-Grapefruit Assault.
Is there a downside? Anakena doesn’t have as much “zing” for your taste buds as Oyster Bay, which I reviewed here, and which is 25-35% more expensive. But on the bright side, Anakena is easy to drink and clean, leaving less mineral feel behind than Oyster Bay. Even brighter is Anakena’s price. Gotta love it.
If you love white wines and a great value, THIS is your summer white. And if you have been drinking very sweet white wines, and you want to “get more serious,” this is a really great starting point. Anakena sauvignon blanc is hereby awarded a “Best Value” designation, and is:
Recommended.
Today we review a white wine from New Zealand that sells for $11 bottle — $10 if you get it at Costco, or various online merchants.
Even as Oyster Bay approaches room temperature in your glass, it keeps its cool. This wine from down under (I assume that applies to New Zealand too?) (if not, it should) is a bit minerally, has a lot of fresh citrus flavor, and is nicely crisp, dry and refreshing, while still providing some nice fruit overtones.
I don’t like to say what foods a wine tastes like, because it’s almost always wrong and it sounds pretentious, but Oyster Bay is a typical sauvignon blanc. So, “wine people” will expect me to mention that it has flavors of grapefruit — although they are mild in this case — and there are hints of lemon-lime. It also has a little bit of “green grass,” but less than many other sauvignon blancs.
Although not officially complex, Oyster Bay is plenty interesting. In fact I would call it a crowd-pleaser, because it gives you just a tiny bit of “fireworks on your tongue,” and I can’t imagine anybody hating it, unless they require serious sweetness. If you need to buy a lot of white wine for an occasion, I’d consider this one, with something else for the sweet crowd (or, a chardonnay . . .) . I would almost name this a “best value”, but Nobilo sauvignon blanc, reviewed earlier, has less “limestone deposits” feel to it, and is a little better overall at only $11.
Recommended!
Hello there! Today’s review is being brought to you by a Guest Reviewer, That Girl. It is my pleasure to review a wine that Wineguider would not fall passionately in love with, but which J’adore!
Today we review a Sauvignon White Bordeaux wine from France, produced by Chateau Montet, an arm of Chateau Haut Guillebot, located in the Dordogne region of France. It costs $8.99. Translation: It’s a white wine from the South Eastern region of France and it’s inexpensive.
Bottom Line: Don’t let the price fool you; it’s a buy, buy, buy. If I could stock my bedroom closet full of this stuff, I would (but where would I put my shoes?).
The pink label pays homage to its female owner heritage; beyond that, the label is fairly bla. The wine is not.
Warning: If you like your wine sweet, read no further; this wine is not for you. If on the other hand, you like your wine as dry as a calcium block with a hint of grapefruit, go for it.
Oh dear. It seems I’ve broken Wineguider’s cardinal rule about no Wine Snob talk. Carrying on… this wine reminds me of sitting on a porch in summer, under a perfect sky, my feet up … with a cool drink. In France. Where I don’t live. This wine makes me forget that I have work on Monday morning. And that’s what I love about Chateau Montet’s Sauvignon; its timelessness and ability to transport.
What it is not: Sweet. Complex. Expensive.
What it is: Dry. Light. Simple. Grapefruit overtones with a mineral finish that lingers on the tongue. Hits all the right bells, without blowing my budget. At $8.99, I can buy two; one for my friend’s party and the other for my bedroom closet.
Highly recommended.
Today we review Nobilo’s 2009 sauvignon blanc, a white wine from New Zealand that costs $11 a bottle.
This crisp, citrusy wine is perfect for summer. Even though it’s not sweet, it gives you a tropical feeling. If you are not too experienced with wine, this is a great choice to begin “branching out.” On a hot day, have a little wine tasting: open a bottle of Nobilo, and a bottle of something you normally drink, like a California chardonnay. Have some grapes, or cheese and crackers to nibble on. Compare the flavors you get: If you’re like me, the chardonnay’s flavors will seem clogged up and unnatural when compared to the Nobilo. California chardonnay … hmm, butter, and oak (or a feeling that you’re sucking on a two-by-four?). Nobilo … mmm, flavors of lemon, melon, a hint of green grass and no trace of oak, butter, or Sterno.
Nobilo is delicious, tastes like a $20 wine, and is bound to be a hit with anybody who likes sauvignon blanc. It’s a clear “Best Value” winner.
Highly recommended.
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