10 Summer Sauvignons

Here's our TopTen "tasted" list:

88/100 Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc 2002
Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile
Veramonte has handle on sauvignon in Casablanca as evidenced by the pleasant melon Kiwi lemon rind character in this nose. Soft entry with similar ripe melon apple and kiwi fruit on the palate. Lovely elegant styling and quite along ripe finish. Impressive effort and becoming very consistent.
Tasted: 2003-01-31 by AG-ST
Prices: BC $15.95
CSPC: 602649;   UPC: 083085611293
Producer: Veramonte Estate
Distributor: Charton-Hobbs

88/100 Domaine Joel Delaunay Touraine 2002
Touraine, Loire, France
This Touraine blanc is 100 per cent sauvignon with bags of clean crisp ripe fruit. After fermentation the sauvignon left on its fine lees to further enhance flavour and texture development. The flavours are a mix of peach and citrus with some floral notes in the finish. Impressive, fruity clean white that is tailor-made for West Coast food. Drink all summer.
Tasted: 2003-05-19 by AG
Prices: BC $16.95 Specialty
CSPC: 595157;   UPC: 3514310000027
Producer: Domaine Joël Delaunay
Distributor: Magnum Consultants Ltd.

88/100 Domaine de Molines Sauvignon Blanc Réserve 2000
Languedoc, South of France, France
Mineral, gooseberry, passion fruit, hay aromas with light, bell pepper notes. Rich, textured wine with smoky mineral, canned gooseberry, spicy lees that finishes with a touch of vanilla and citrus. Showing a touch of maturity but very good acidity.
Tasted: 2003-06-16 by AG-ST
Prices: AB $17.50 Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $19.95 Speculative - Winspeer
CSPC: 007765;   UPC: 690604000119
Producer: Vignobles Michel Gassier
Distributor: Winspeer International Group Ltd.

88/100 Quails' Gate Fume Blanc Family Reserve 2002
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
The 2002 FR Fumé Blanc was made in limited quantities from the best parcels of fruit. Partial barrel fermentation in new French oak aged 'sur lie', followed by a selection of the best barriques. Look for an oak, melon, floral, citrus rind nose with a smoky citrus fumé vanilla finish with flecks of grapefruit and green apple. Round approachable palate but still crisp in the finish. Well done for a young wine and should only get better in the coming five to seven months. Excellent.
Tasted: 2003-06-30 by AG-ST
Prices: BC $22.95 Winery Only
UPC: 778856214048
Producer: Quails' Gate Vineyards Estate Winery
Distributor: Medallion Wine Marketing

88/100 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2002
Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand
Kim Crawford sauvignon now sports the familiar screwcap closure ensuring consumers pure untainted flavours inside. Look for rich open canned jalapeno aromas with a touch of canned asparagus all streaked with chalk and mineral. Quite a citrus flavoured on the palate with excellent mid-palate balance and power. Green apple, green pepper and grapefruit flavours mark the long finish. Break out the mussels.
Tasted: 2003-05-04 by AG
Prices: BC $23.99 Specialty
CSPC: 469411;   UPC: 689352009611
Producer: Kim Crawford Wines
Distributor: Atlas Wine Merchants

89/100 Robert Mondavi Fumé Blanc 2001
Napa Valley, California, United States
Barrel fermentation and aging contribute to the rich, creamy textures of this elegant, all fumé sauvignon with its soft edges and lemon/citrus, mineral aromas and flavours. There's more smoky, vanilla, lees flavours in the finish along with creamy grapefruit and smoke. Very crisp. Bring on the shellfish.
Tasted: 2003-06-30 by AG-ST
Prices: AB $23.00 Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $29.99 Specialty; NS $35.65; ON $29.75; QC $29.20
CSPC: 221887;   UPC: 086003351868
Producer: Robert Mondavi Winery
Distributor: Maxxium Canada

89/100 Benziger Fumé Blanc 2001
North Coast, California, United States
Expect pleasant mineral, grapefruit rind, melon and fresh hay aromas. Round and fresh with delicate flavours of melon, butter, grapefruit with a chalky mineral aftertaste. Tasty grapefruit/orange finish with firm acidity and fine balance. Enjoyable, graceful wine. It's North Coast appellation but its 75 per cent Sonoma County fruit.
Tasted: 2003-03-10 by AG-ST
Prices: BC $29.95 Specialty
CSPC: 284513;   UPC: 7857774000325
Producer: Benziger Family Winery
Distributor: Winspeer International Group Ltd.
 
88/100 Turnbull Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2001
Oakville, Napa Valley, California, United States
Skellenger Vineyards is the source of most of the sauvignon used at Turnbull half of which is the sauvignon musqué clone and its lime-scented fruit. The blend gets an extra smattering of three to five per cent viognier and malvasia bianca both of which elevate the wines floral notes and seven per cent sémillon. The weight is medium to light-bodied; the textures round, soft and easy sipping. The 60 per cent stainless ferment is mixed with 40 per cent barrel fermented fruit all of which is lees stirred through April. The wine is streaked with lime citrus notes and refreshing fruit flavours in the finish. An excellent, Napa-style, summer-sipping sauvignon.
Tasted: 2003-05-29 by AG-ST
Prices: BC $29.95 Special Order - Vinterra Wine Merchants
UPC: 793589067501
Producer: Turnbull Wine Cellars
Distributor: Vinterra Wine Merchants

90/100 Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc 2002
Martinborough, Wairarapa, North Island, New Zealand
The 2002 vintage was the first vintage from these vines planted in 2000. There are eleven different parcels of vines that are managed individually to create quite distinct and special characters. Expect an intense passion fruit mineral nose with just a fleck of gooseberry fruit in the background. The entry is full of round sweet fruit with chalky textures and mineral flavours. More passion fruit and kiwi mark the mid-palate before a dry and slightly austere finish. Intense sophisticated Kiwi style sauvignon.
Tasted: 2003-05-04 by AG-ST
Prices: AB $32.95 Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $34.95 Specialty
CSPC: 614420;   UPC: 9421004550291
Producer: Craggy Range Vineyards Ltd.
Distributor: Winspeer International Group Ltd.
 
89/100 Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2001
Sonoma County, California, United States
Sweaty wool, mineral, grapefruit, gooseberry aromas with a touch of vanilla and dry lees. Round and viscous with mineral, green apple, grapefruit rind, gooseberry and vanilla flavours. Long, clean slightly citrus lees finish. Crisp but warm finish.
Tasted: 2003-02-17 by AG-ST
Prices: BC $49.50
Producer: Matanzas Creek Winery
Distributor: Vinterra Wine Merchants

89/100 Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2001
Napa Valley, California, United States
Open bell pepper and mineral aromas streaked with jalapeño, citrus and vanilla in the background. This is a round, fun-to-sip style with ripe, kiwi/melon, mineral and fruit flavours with a skinny, green-apple skin undercurrent. Big round warm Napa styling that will appeal on the patio.
Tasted: 2003-06-30 by AG-ST
Prices: AB $43.95 Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $49.95 Specialty
CSPC: 191429
Producer: Cakebread Cellars
Distributor: Winspeer International Group Ltd.