Twisted Palates Go For Sauvignon Blanc

This has certainly been the story of chardonnay since the mid-'70s, both in wine shops and restaurants.

But it's not all rosy for chardonnay, as we touched on last weekend. It seems after four decades, its many disparate styles are beginning to confuse consumers ,leaving them to wonder which style they are buying, and that is never good news.

If wine writers and sommeliers have much to do with it, over-oaked, soft, fat chardonnay with a kiss of residual sugar will be ignored, and it's going to happen fast. My guess is oaky chardonnay selling for less than $25 and bottled under cork will be almost impossible to sell in any front-line restaurant or wine shop by the end of the year. Such is the speed of change.

Even while wineries are busy debating cork vs. screw cap issues, consumers are voting with their dollars and palates for fresher, crisper, white wine and they want it under screw cap. Enter the likes of sauvignon blanc and riesling.

Riesling and sauvignon blanc, once thought to be fringe wines, are now seen as fresher, brighter, tastier and, well, more fun to drink with food. Despite a decade of resistance to change, once tempted few consumers go back to oaky wine. Translation: big, fat, ripe chardonnay is dead.

If, like me, you believe the new red wine is white, then sauvignon blanc is the go-to grape this summer. Should it be under $20, finished under screw cap without too much alcohol, well, it's a home run for wine drinkers.

It's more than being just white that makes sauvignon blanc so attractive. When it's grown on a cool site and handled in a specific manner, sauvignon delivers big flavour in the glass. And it's the strong flavour elements that should help attract red wine drinkers (already used to big flavours) back to the white wine.

In the same manner that the riesling renaissance had to be jump-started outside of its German home base, so too interest in sauvignon blanc is being rekindled outside of Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé in the Loire Valley by the likes of Marlborough, New Zealand, Casablanca, Chile, coastal South Africa and parts of cool, coastal California.

That is not to say Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé or Touraine have gone unnoticed, because repeatedly the "best" sauvignon tasted outside of France is often described as being Sancerre or Pouilly Fumé-like.

Today we look at six excellent sipping sauvignons to refresh your weekend.

I'm a big fan of the Santa Rita 2007 Sauvignon Blanc 120. The workhorse Santa Rita sauvignon benefits from the research done at the reserve level and from the high-end Floresta Leyda project. The 120 sauvignon is an 85/15 blend of sauvignon fruit from Maule and Casablanca and it is all stainless steel fermented. The 2007 is now under screw cap making it almost untouchable in its price category for value. Look for fresh citrus bell pepper aromas flecked with grassy, chalky grapefruit notes. Well-made, affordable modern sauvignon.

Similarly the Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc 2007 is harvested from several cool sites and then fermented and aged on its lees in stainless steel tanks. The result is a super-fresh style with bright gooseberry scented notes and flecks of honey and citrus and mineral. The finish is crisp and round, the intensity perfect for the price. The perfect shellfish/pasta wine and it's excellent value too.

There is a pungent, gooseberry, sweaty grapefruit nose with almost identical fruit in the Nederburg Sauvignon Blanc 2007 from South Africa. Softer and rounder than you might expect and that helps to make it palatable through the finish. Herby, lemon-lime notes mark the finish. Good value.

The Oxford Landing Sauvignon Blanc 2007 takes its name from a mooring along the flat Murray River district, but the fruit for this wine comes from a much wider area. Generally crisp in style with mouth-watering acidity, it has obvious citrus, grassy notes and a clean finish. A friendly and affordable summer sipper for potato salads, cold chicken and seafood.

Still in Oz, the Yalumba Y Series Sauvignon Blanc 2007 is as simple style sauvignon with a tight, fresh-cut grass nose and a dollop of passion fruit. The palate is fresh with fairly tight, zippy acidity and a big citrus finish. Simple straight-up sauvignon that would be fine with a bowl of buttered clams or steamed mussels.

Finally, look for more intensity in the Santa Rita Sauvignon Blanc Medalla Real 2007 where old vines and low yields deliver an intense experience in the mouth. The fruit comes off a single Casablanca site that is cooled by the nearby Pacific. The entry is cool and sleek with intense mineral, tinned asparagus juice, sweaty grapefruit and gooseberry aromas with flavours of grapefruit, mineral mixed with a touch of dried herbs. Best with mussels or oysters.

Price: $11

UPC: 89419007091

Score: 86/100

Remarks: Well-made, affordable modern sauvignon.

CASILLERO DEL DIABLO SAUVIGNON BLANC 2007, REGION DEL VALLE CENTRAL, CHILE

Price: $13

UPC: 078044320301174

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Super fresh style with bright gooseberry scented notes and flecks of honey and citrus.

NEDERBURG SAUVIGNON BLANC 2007, WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA

Price: $15

UPC: 083206000531

Score: 85/100

Remarks: Pungent gooseberry sweaty grapefruit nose with almost identical fruit on the palate.

OXFORD LANDING SAUVIGNON BLANC 2007, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Price: $11.50

UPC: 089208900114

Score: 86/100

Remarks: Friendly, affordable summer sipper for potato salads, cold chicken and seafood.

YALUMBA Y SERIES SAUVIGNON BLANC 2007, BAROSSA VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Price: $16

UPC: 9311789000817

Score: 86/100

Remarks: Straight-up sauvignon that is best with shellfish.

SANTA RITA SAUVIGNON BLANC MEDALLA REAL 2007,

Valle De Casablanca, Chile

Price: $20

UPC: 089419917109

Score: 88/100

Remarks: Intense mineral, grassy, grapefruit flavours.