WINE ... with David Bray
If you think we are being overwhelmed by sauvignon blanc you are surely on the right track. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing. The books will tell you that it is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The name probably comes from sauvage (“wild”") and blanc (“white”) and it is possibly a descendant of savagnin.
Sauvignon blanc is planted in many of the world’s wine regions (e.g. France, Chile, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Moldova and California) and yields a crisp, dry, and refreshing white varietal wine. It is also a component of the well-known dessert wines from Sauternes and Barsac.
In its homeland, particularly in the great Loire regions of Sancerre and Pouilly Fume, the winemakers place great emphasis on complexity, setting their wines apart from the highly fruited new- world styles.
The best sauvignon blanc wines as we know them from our country and across the Tasman are fresh and vibrant wines with none of the heaviness of chardonnay nor the floral tones of riesling. Their flavours go well with semillon and these varieties are often blended together. Sauvignon blanc tops the Australian best-selling white wine list. It knocked chardonnay off its shelf several years ago, and the majority of it comes from New Zealand, notably Marlborough.
Here are some of the examples seen in recent weeks:
Mud House 2011 Marlborough sauvignon blanc has the passionfruit and tropical flavours expected of grapes in this region, full-flavoured and nicely balanced, crisp but not overpowering. $22.
Oyster Bay, leader of the NZ invaders, has had its moments in the market and here it is, another Marlborough, in the 2011 edition going along nicely…. zesty, aromatic … look for passionfruit and tropical flavours. $19.99.
Swinging Bridge 2011 sauvignon blanc shows the fine natural acidity of Orange region grapes. Some of the wine was matured in big, older oak to build texture while not sacrificing the aromatics. $18.95. Angullong 2011 sauvignon blanc (pictured) comes out of the southern fringe of the Orange region, with a little bit from higher up the mountain, which is said to “add some further depth and structure to the finished wine”. $17.
The two Orange producers also sent along pinot gris, which I happen to like very much, even more so as growers and makers are working out the best places and techniques – and Orange is looking great.
Angullong Fossil Hill 2011 pinot gris, like its sibling mentioned just back there, came out of what its makers describe as “a challenging vintage”. Let Angullong owner Ben Crossing has a say, as follows: “ ...the Orange region is beginning to see the results of judicious vineyard management with the release of the 2011 whites. “The winemaking and viticultural experience and knowledge is continuing to grow and with it the quality of the wines increases. If we’d had a vintage like the 2011 five years ago it would have been a different results.” Whatever, this pinot gris is a delicious example of one of the most flavoursome whites. $22.
Swinging Bridge 2011 pinot gris comes up nicely, too. Owner Tom Ward: “We spent a great deal of time ensuring that the vines were in the best possible condition. Lower yields were called for, as was judicious canopy management, allowing good sunlight an air flow through the vines. “We managed to escape disease and achieve good aromatics in both wines, with a lovely natural acidity that the high elevation of the Orange region produces so well.” Good stuff at $18.95.
Now that summer seems to have decided to settle in, it could well be time to have a good look at out mid-priced whites, such as the above. Go for it.
