Look closely at the label of this wine and you’ll see something other than just the Los Vascos name, you’ll also see Domaines Baron de Rothschild (Lafite) — one of the most prestigious producers in Bordeaux… and therefore one of the most expensive. That name is on the bottle because they took over the Los Vascos estate in 1988. And while their wines from Bordeaux are pricey, those from Los Vascos are quite reasonable, making Los Vascos some of the few wines with the Lafite name that I can afford to drink.
Despite the prestige of the Lafite name, there was one thing about this wine that kind of turned me off, the synthetic cork. I don’t mind screw caps, and there’s something experiential about a real cork that just adds to the romance of a wine. But a rubbery/plastic synthetic cork is just a turn off to me. How about you?
But as I get past my disappointment with the cork I get to what’s really important, the wine. And it doesn’t disappoint.
The nose of this wine is exactly what I expect from a Casablanca Valley sauvignon blanc. It has plenty of tropical fruit aromas, a bit of herbal / grassiness, lime and a cool mineral quality underlying all of it. On the palate it has intense grapefruit, lime and granny smith apple flavors. The apple flavor really stands out on a long finish, which is also riddled with acidity. The finish of the finish (I know “the finish of the finish” may sound ridiculous, but it was that loooong, and complex) has a bit of saltiness. In fact, the acidity in this wine is incredible, making this a superb sauvignon blanc for shellfish.
Wine: Los Vascos
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 89
Price: $10.00
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Here’s what others thought of the this wine:
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
We’re going back to the box tonight — and back to Chile — for another sauvignon blanc review. We’ve lauded Chilean sauvignon blanc over the past few years, and more recently we’ve given a nod to improvements in the quality of some boxed wines. So, we were excited to explore a boxed SB from Chile.
This wine is named Gran Verano, which translates to “great summer.” The fruit for it comes from the Central Valley in Chile.
This is a nice Sauvignon Blanc, although it lacks some of the tropical fruit characteristics found in some of our favorites from Chile. On the nose there is an intense fresh-cut grass aroma, along with mineral, lemon and cat pee. Yes, I said “cat pee” but don’t be alarmed… it’s not an uncommon aroma in Sauvignon Blanc and not as offensive as it sounds. The palate is loaded with tart lemon and green apple flavors. The acidity is a little strong, but I prefer that over lacking acidity.
All told, it’s a reasonable Sauvignon Blanc for the price, which works out to $5.50 per 750 ml bottle. Each box holds the equivalent of 4 bottles of wine.
Wine: Gran Verano
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 83
Price: $22.00 for 3 liters
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Here’s what others thought of the this wine:
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
Pomelo is produced by Mason Cellars, a family owned and operated winery in Oakville, California. The winery is run by Randy Mason, a winemaker with over 30 years of winemaking experience in Napa Valley, and his wife, Megan. Although Mason Cellars is located in Napa Valley, the appellation for this wine is just listed as California, indicating that the grapes are not from Napa Valley.
This isn’t the only sauvignon blanc produced by Mason Cellars. In fact, they have developed quite a reputation for some of their higher-end sauvignon blanc. But this is the most affordable SB they produce and that’s why we had to give it a whirl.
The name, Pomelo, comes from a citrus fruit with that name. The pomelo fruit, sometimes called a Chinese grapefruit, tastes similar to a mild, somewhat sweet grapefruit, making it a fitting name for this wine.
The nose on this wine is fairly tight, but does have some aromas of grapefruit, melon and mineral. The palate is also somewhat subtle, but pleasant with flavors characteristic of pear, melon and citrus. On the mid-palate there’s a touch of salt. Citrus and mineral makes up the finish. It’s not over-the-top with tropical fruit and doesn’t have the grassiness of some other sauvignon blanc, but the mineral and citrus characteristics make it an interesting and enjoyable wine.
Wine: Pomelo
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 85
Price: $10.00
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Here’s what others thought of the this wine:
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
Chile continues to dominate this series of sauvignon blanc tastings, and tonight’s review is from Santa Rita. This is a producer that has been awarded numerous accolades over the years and most recently was named both the Winery of the Year and the Value Brand of the Year by Wine and Spirits magazine. Now that’s something to get the attention of a cheapskate like me.
Santa Rita, like many producers, has a number of different lines of their wines, each at different price points. This particular sauvignon blanc is from their Medalla Real line, which is a mid-priced line. The suggested retail price on this one is $19.99, barely in our price range, but I’ve seen it sell for as little as $15, and at that price this is a bargain. It comes from Leyda Valley and in a word, this wine is extraordinary.
From the nose, this is exactly what I want from a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc: grapefruit, fresh cut grass, tropical fruits and gunpowder (which is an expression of mineral characteristics). The flavors on the palate are like loads of lemon and lime squeezed over a green apple. And that apple lingers on the finish. The acidity of this wine is perfect. I love this Sauvignon Blanc.
Wine: Santa Rita Medalla Real
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 91
Price: $19.99
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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
We’ve reviewed some Root:1 wines before. We’ve gotten excited about their cabernet sauvignon and we’ve reviewed their 2008 sauvignon blanc. Today it’s the 2009 sauvignon blanc and our impressions are similar to the 2008.
Root:1 is named in reference to the roots of the grape vines. They also have a tag line, “The Original Ungrafted” which more directly explains what’s unique about this brand — although I expect most consumers wouldn’t know what “ungrafted” means. Grafting is a process where a part from one plant is cut off and connected to a matching cut on a different plant, they then grow together and become one plant. The graft is often done to connect a vine to a different rootstock. This is done in order to put heartier, more disease-resistant rootstock on vines than they would naturally have. Most grape vines used for wine production are grafted onto different rootstock, but the vines used to grow the fruit for Root:1 wines have their original, natural rootstock.
I grew up on a small apple orchard and I know about grafting from the fruit trees. But I wouldn’t expect those who’ve never spent any time learning about vineyards or orchards to be familiar with grafting. Maybe I’m wrong. How about you, have you ever heard of grafting? Do you care whether the vines used to produce your wine were grafted?
I honestly might not have guessed this to be a sauvignon blanc at first whiff. It’s much more minerally and less tropical than I expect from a sauvignon blanc, particularly one from Casablanca Valley. Some might say it’s a Loire Valley style, with the mineral characteristics, but I’d also expect some grassiness from a Loire Valley sauvignon blanc, which I don’t get from this one. It’s still a nice wine, just not varietally typical — it’s more like a Picpoul de Pinet on the nose, with lime and mineral being the dominant characteristics. There’s also a bit of grapefruit aroma to this one, which is typical of a Chilean sauvignon blanc.
In the mouth it’s more sauvignon blanc-like than on the nose, with plenty of grapefruit, lime and green apple flavors. There’s also a mineral undertone on the palate. The acidity is crisp and just what I want from a sauvignon blanc. It finishes relatively quickly, with mineral and lime flavors. It’s an enjoyable wine, but not quite what it should be (in my opinion) and it loses a couple points in “varietal correctness.”
Wine: Root:1
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 84
Price: $12.50
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Here’s what others thought of the this wine:
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
OK, this is going to be a short and sweet review tonight. It’s another Chilean sauvignon blanc from Casablanca Valley, and another one that I totally dig. I don’t have a whole lot of background on the producer, Peñalolen, other than what we mentioned with the review of the 
Peñalolen cabernet sauvignon.
This is a nice example of a Casablanca Valley sauvignon blanc, with intense grapefruit and pineapple aromas over a vegetal aroma that I’d describe as pea pods and tomato leaf. In the mouth it’s a citrus hat trick with grapefruit, lemon and lime flavors. A little apple flavor comes in on the finish, but the grapefruit is still pretty powerful there too. The acidity is nice and crisp. Simply put, it’s a really tasty sauvignon blanc.
Wine: Peñalolen
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 88
Price: $12.00
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Here’s what others thought of the this wine:
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
Although the Oberon name may be new to you, the name behind it shouldn’t be — if you know anything about wine. Rob Mondavi, Jr., grandson of the legendary Robert Mondavi, created Oberon to produce Napa Valley wines that can be enjoyed as everyday wines. And while Rob Mondavi, Jr. is behind Oberon, Tony Coltrin, a Napa Valley native with over 35 years of winemaking experience, is the winemaker responsible for this sauvignon blanc.
The fruit for this SB is 100% from Napa Valley, but comes from two different vineyards within the valley. Oberon’s Oso Vineyard, located in Pope Valley, is the source of 45% of the fruit. The remainder comes from a cooler climate vineyard, named Milliken Vineyard, in the southern part of the valley.
A lot of M’s come to mind when smelling this wine, like mango, melon and mineral. Mmmmmm… But is there an M word for grapefruit? Because there’s definitely some grapefruit on the nose too. On the palate, green is the theme with flavors of kiwi, lime and green apple. The acidity is perfect. The finish is a little short but full of melon and citrus. It’s a nice sauvignon blanc.
After tasting this wine for the review — which is done blind and with a clean palate — I paired the remainder with vatapá, which was outstanding and a perfect pairing.
Wine: Oberon
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $14.99
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Here’s what others thought of the this wine:
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
Tonight we have a double-header review with two different brands of sauvignon blanc from William Cole Vineyards in Casablanca Valley, Chile. This is not to be confused with William Cole Vineyards in Napa Valley, California — that’s a different William Cole.
The Chilean William Cole Vineyards has 130 hectares of vineyards in a flat valley surrounded by hills. They have a few different brands of wine that they produce and these two are both from the Casablanca Valley and are both very good.
William Cole
Columbine Special Reserve
The intensity on the nose of this wine is outstanding. This is an “in your face” sauvignon blanc, with voluptuous tropical aromas. The nose is filled with grapefruit, pineapple, passionfruit and good ol’ cat’s pee. I know that sounds nasty, but it’s a common attribute with sauvignon blanc and not as gross as it sounds.
This sauvignon blanc also has a significant grass or nettle fragrance. The palate has crisp acidity with green apple and lime flavors. The concentration of flavors isn’t as intense as I had expected, after the experiencing the powerful aromas, but it’s still good. A mineral note hits the mid-palate and then it’s citrus and peach flavors on an exceptionally long finish. If a citrus-filled sauvignon blanc with plenty of acidity is what you’re looking for, then this may be your wine.
Wine: William Cole, Columbine Special Reserve
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 87
Price: $15.00
Here’s what others thought of the this wine:
William Cole
Albamar
If I could only use one word to describe the aromas from this wine, it would be “mango.” But I get to use more words, and so I will. Mango is definitely the dominant characteristic, but there is also good bit of lemon and mineral on the nose. The flavors are that of green apple, peach, melon and citrus. The finish is mostly citrus, mango and yummy, yummy, yummy. The acidity is just right with this wine. This wine gives me yet another reason to love Chilean sauvignon blanc. And at only $11.00 it’s an exceptional value!
Wine: William Cole, Albamar
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 89
Price: $11.00
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Disclosure: These wines were provided as samples.
Surprise, surprise, we’re reviewing yet another Chilean sauvignon blanc. This one is from Montes, a relatively young Chilean producer having started their production in 1987. I know that may not seem young to some of you, but compared to Chilean wine producers that were established in 1885 it’s young to me.
This sauvignon blanc is from their “Limited Selection” line of wines, one of several lines they produce. And it comes from Leyda Valley.
The nose is a nice blend of vegetal and tropical with aromas of cut grass, nettles, lime and mango. The flavors are well balanced and similar to the aromas, plus a pronounced mineral characteristic. You’ll also find lemon and green apple flavors in the fruit family plus a subtle green bean flavor underneath that which add even more complexity beyond the fruit and mineral flavors. A citrus note lingers on the finish. It’s a really nice sauvignon blanc, particularly for those who don’t want over-the-top tropical fruit flavors.
Wine: Montes Limited Selection
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 89
Price: $15.00
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Here’s what others thought of the this wine:
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
The history of Undurraga goes all the way back to 1885 when Don Francisco Undurraga brought vines over from France and Germany to establish the estate. But in more recent history, the Undurraga family left the business in 2006 after a dispute with their business partners. The Picciotto family took over the estate and has since focused on improving the quality of the wines.
Undurraga is one of the largest producers in Chile. They now have several brands of wine, one of which is T.H., which stands for Terroir Hunter. These are wines meant to express a particular location, or “terroir,” and there are actually three different types of sauvignon blanc offered under the T.H. brand. This one is from the Leyda sector of San Antonio, but they also have one from Casablanca and one from Lo Abarca. I suppose it would be interesting to sample and compare all three, but alas I only have the one from Leyda to taste.
There’s pretty good intensity on the nose of this sauvignon blanc. It has “cooling” aromas to it, like green pepper, green bean and wet stones. But there are also some wafts of citrus underneath all that. The citrus really pops on the palate, which has plenty of lemon, grapefruit and a touch of mango. It finishes with a cool lemon/lime flavor that has good length.
Wine: T.H. Leyda
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 87
Price: $16.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
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