Monday, April 27, 2020

2019 Los Vascos - Sauvignon Blanc

2019 Los Vascos - Sauvignon Blanc

   As I sit down to write this review, America as a country is pretty much Locked-down. As always, I will stay out of politics here on this channel but I will ask that everyone please keep in mind the following....." power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."  Now, onto wine.
   Before I start off into this wine I must thank Dana Bruneau of Cuvee & Co. (http://cuveeco.com/) for sending me this wine. Cuvee & Co. is a digital and social marketing firm specializing in enological and viticultural pursuits of all kinds. Mrs. Bruneau has sent me wines from Barron De Rothschild Lafite (such as this wine is) in the past and for the most part other than for one wine, I have to say that they have all been simply wonderful. When Mrs. Bruneau presented me with the invitation to once again taste some wines from the same Producer I was very excited and couldn't resist, especially to taste a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay under Barron De Rothschild ownership. Let's go ahead now and get into this wine now.
   Today's wine review is on the 2019 Los Vascos - Sauvignon Blanc from Casablanca Chile (http://www.lafite.com/en/the-domaines/vina-los-vascos/the-wines/los-vascos-sauvignon-blanc/). Let's start off here with the following facts concerning this wine. The wine is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The bottle is Cork sealed and the wine comes in at 13% Alcohol. The vineyard (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gqii4adhxguffxo/AADy2o8XUrln0vIgIC9nmfppa/Los%20Vascos/Press%20Kit?dl=0&preview=Los+Vascos+Sustainability.pdf&subfolder_nav_tracking=1) the grapes come from is very much into sustainability, like to the max. Looking at their website, it really appears as if they take that idea to heart and completely embrace it. The production of this wine is limited to only 25,000 cases and the wine retails for $10.
   Let's go ahead and check out the label on this wine now. Guys, I am really liking what I am seeing right now. I absolutely love classic labeling. I am also getting the impression at least of a super classy and prestigious white wine being held within the bottle but I guess what else would one expect from a wine produced by Barron De Rothschild Lafite, right? I like the back label as well here as it is really informative and provides quite a bit of useful information, thankfully overshadowing the Surgeon Generals warning.
Sauvignon Blanc Grapes Hanging
    So now I want to get to the Bouquet for a bit. Upon bringing the glass to my nose now I get a light yet sufficient Note of Gooseberry. This Note is not as in your face as it can be at times from the New Zealand expression of the varietal but nevertheless is still present in a nice way. I am getting faint yet effective Notes of both semi-ripe Nectaurine & Peach as well here. These Notes are not at what I would consider to be dominating on the Nose but they are appreciated and nice. I am also enjoying a Lemon Note which is at the same presentation level as the other three Notes. Before I move on now I have to tell you that the Bouquet leaves the perception firmly rooted in my mind of a wine possessing the varietally, non-traditional, extreme crispness & boldness Notes of the Sauvignon Blanc varietal. If this wine shows itself off on the Palate as it does on the Nose, I am in for a unique experience.
   Now I am excited to actually look at the wine and tell you what I am seeing. Stunningly, as I look at the wine while it is held over a white background I see a sharply presented silver in color liquid sitting in my glass. The wine exhibits a brilliance or clarity to it that is almost unmatched. Now as I remove the background and look straight at the wine as it sits on the table in my glass I get a wine that switches to a nice light gold in color but still maintains that brilliance/clarity to it. I can't help but think of the words "classy", "clean", "brilliance" & "delightful" as I look at the wine. As I move to the wines Palate presentation now I will see if any of these descriptions continue to hold true.
Cellars at Chateau Lafite Rothschild
   On the Palate now I have to first tell you that my feelings on what the Nose was showing as far as "classy" & "clean" absolutely do translate over onto the Palate. Folks, my Mouth is almost bursting with acidic citrus flavor. The wine is weird in the fact that the first Note I get though is a bit of semi sweetness from that Peach and Nectarine combination but very quickly (almost immediately actually) this seems to reverse itself and is overtaken by the citrus Notes of both lemon along with a hair bit of lime. Wow, this wine is truly throwing out what I would definitely say is quite a lively, fresh & clean Palate guys. A small bit of Honeydew sweetness is present here as well and I think now that this, as well as the Peach & Nectarine, is where that initial bit of sweetness comes from that I previously mentioned. As I sit out back and sip on this wine I can't help but to appreciate the boldness and overall Palate cleanness of this wine. Following these Notes up is one of ripe pear which interjects itself rather nicely at Mid-Palate as it helps the other tropical notes sort of steer the wine away being too acidic or bright due to the Lemon & Lime acidity. I have to address the word of "sweetness" for a moment. These normally sweeter fruits do create a permanent presence in the wine but because they themselves are restrained, they can't even come close to altering the direction of this wine to that of a wine whose grapes were grown in hot weather. Continuing now, Lychee also creates a nice presence here and while on one hand, it is not exactly what I would consider to be subtle, on the other hand, it is not what I would consider to be overwhelming either, it is good though. This Lychee makes no attempt at taking the lead and seems to be very content on being in second or perhaps even third place knowing that it can be just as effective. The wine displays a substantial bit of minerality as well on the Palate and is not in the least bit shy in exposing it. Mixed into the wine is also a bit of an Orange Zest type Note that is present towards the Finish of the wine but is rather low key and well placed nonetheless. As a last Palate Note here I must add that the wine throws in a hint of a slight peppery Note that is dispersed throughout the presentation of the wine and I love it as I feel that it truly completes the package. This is a rather complex Sauvignon Blanc folks and is not the typical offering from the likes of California nor for that matter Marlborough, New Zealand that we all (including myself ) seem to love.  One last thing now, I have to let you know as it is something else of importance, a heads up of sorts I guess you could say. The wine possesses a bit too much of a sharpness at the Mid-Palate as it warms a bit so be vigilant on the ice bucket. I am glad that up until the end I was able to maintain the temperature of the wine. Well, guys, it is indeed time to conclude this review.
Eric Kohler, Technical Director of the Bordeaux Châteaux,
   As we are now at my final thoughts I will straight out tell you, warn you that if your Palate preference is locked into the New Zealand or California expressions of the Sauvignon Blanc varietal then this might not be a wine for you. This wine carries with it a very unique expression of the Sauvignon Blanc varietal and while it does hold to some similar common characteristics of the wine from those mentioned areas, it is unique in its dryness and its Lemony Acidity & minerality. All of those other interpretations are wonderful in my opinion, don't get me wrong and fortunately, I am open to all of them as I believe the varietal itself is amazing. As a reminder, when you buy this wine I highly, (I said highly) recommend that you keep it chilled as the sharpness that the wine normally exhibits really increases as the wine warms up and it is not desirable in my book. On The Desert Wine Guy rating scale, I am giving this wine 93 points which means that the wine is "Outstanding: A wine of superior character and style." Thank you once again, Dana, for sending me this super nice wine, I really enjoyed it.
   For those who are interested, here (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gqii4adhxguffxo/AAApzmO-nzien7J3xHaG5INBa/Los%20Vascos/Tech%20Sheets?dl=0&preview=Los+Vascos+Sauvignon+Blanc+2018+Tech+Sheet.pdf&subfolder_nav_tracking=1) is the Tech Sheet on the wine.


                                                                                                                                The Desert Wine Guy

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Friday, April 3, 2020

The Desert Wine Guy - 2019 Matua Sauvignon Blanc


   A few months ago I reviewed (although have not posted) the 2016 Matua - Sauvignon Blanc which I enjoyed tremendously. Today I am back to review another Matua Sauvignon Blanc only this time it is the 2019 Matua - Sauvignon Blanc. I guess you could say I was so impressed with the 2016 vintage that I could not resist this one. I purchased this wine for $14.99 at my local Supermarket however it was on sale as a buy one, get one which made its final cost, in reality, $7.50. Let's go on ahead now and get into this wine and see what it is all about.
   To begin with, the Matua Winery (https://www.matua.co.nz/) was founded in the early 1970s by Brothers Bill and Ross Spence. The winery claims to be the first winery in New Zealand to have produced the Sauvignon Blanc varietal way back in 1974. Although Matua doesn't appear to actually own any vineyards, they do source their grapes from New Zealand’s most renowned wine regions such as Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough, and Central Otago. Aside from the Sauvignon Blanc varietal, the winery also produces the varietals of Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, as well as Chardonnay & Pinot Noir Rose which I have just recently reviewed. The winery was bought out in 2001 and is now owned by Beringer-Blass Wine Estates (https://www.beringerblass.com.au/) which also owns the Stags Leap Vineyards & Winery as well as the St. Clement Vineyards both located in the Napa Valley. Rounding off this paragraph, this wine has a Screw Cap closure and comes in at 13% Alcohol.
   Let's now take a look at the label at this wine bottle and see if it helps in selling the wine or not. This label is identical to the 2016 Matua - Sauvignon Blanc as well as the 2017 Matua Pinot Noir Rose. As I said in the reviews of the Rose, I like the label better on the Sauvignon Blanc varietal as I think the color of the wine better shows it off and is, therefore, more appropriate. In general, I absolutely just love the blue color of the main label as well as the Fonts used for the wording. I also liked where the wording on the label is placed. The label is also rather interesting in that it acts as a "Chill Check" according to the winery. In reference to this "Chill Check", they say "Once the wine is chilled to perfection, a small snowflake will appear in the bottom right-hand corner." I tried it and it does work.
   Now I am going to take a look at the wine itself while holding it over a white background and see what I can tell you about it. The wine is a nice light in color gold and it looks very appealing. The "Lip" of the wine where it would pour is pretty wide and also a bit darker than the body of the wine. The wine has a wonderful clarity to it as well. As I look at the wine sitting in the glass on the table with the white background removed, it still holds that lightish gold appearance in the Body as well as the darker "lip". The wine also maintains its pleasingness to the eye. As far as "Legs" go, they are few and far between. The few "Legs" which are present, however, drip rather slowly down the sides of my glass. What I am mostly seeing is that for the most part, the wine seems to coat the glass with a slight viscosity.
   Now, as far as the Bouquet goes, I feel forced to tell you that it is rather forward and super nice. Yeah, guys, for sure the wine presents itself on the Nose as a very in your face wine. Super big time Gooseberry is completely rushing forward and might even cause you to sit back in your chair for a few seconds. Just after this Note is a big Note of grass as well as a bit of Kiwi as well. Wow, guys, the Nose is rocking right now and I am in Heaven. On the backend of the Nose, I am getting some ripe melon and it is well placed here as it gives off the unspoken promise that the wine might perhaps exhibit a bit of sweetness to it. I have to tell you that I am dying to get to the Palate of this wine to see how or if this Nose translates over.
   Sure enough, folks, right away I have to begin here by letting you know that the big time Gooseberry Note that I got on the Nose translates right on over to the Palate. I have to repeat myself by telling you that again that you will just sit right back in your chair and say. wow! Following this Note up is a good bit of Grapefruit & a tad bit of Lemon to go with it. These Notes when combined together let you know (or should) that this is a Sauvignon Blanc from the New Zealand, Marlborough Region. A strong Note of Quince is everpresent on the Palate and is in your face as well. The bright acidity that is expressed by this wine is just amazing and the Palate just explodes with it. As the tasting goes on the flavor as well as the power of this wine does not dissipate, both insist on staying through to the Finish and what seems like slightly beyond as well. Guys, how about some Passion Fruit? If you want that Note in a Sauvignon Blanc you have certainly got it as this wine is exploding with this it. My Palate right now is just being attacked by everything this wine is offering up and there doesn't seem to be any letting up. As with any Marlborough expression of the varietal, this wine has a good bit of Tropicalnees to it but just not in a sweet way. There is a hint of sweetness that seems to be sort of in a hidden layer of the wine but I don't want you getting scared as this is not a sweet wine by any means. In my humble opinion, that bit of sweetness causes the wine to sort of take a slight turn and mellow just a bit. Let me talk for a second about Green Melon. This Note is there but it is more of a Note that you sort of feel.
Now, don't misunderstand me, you do taste it but it is more of an underlying yet certainly effective Note then anything else. The melon does indeed make an impact on the wine as it creates another sort of slight "break" from the direction it was currently going in. These deviations while not major ones, are good enough to have me (or you) cheering for them. All of these Notes culminate into a vibrancy that just rocks the Palate without question. The wine simply energizes the Palate and does not let it rest. Guys, I think I have said enough, the wine simply rocks. It is time to complete this review and that means moving to my conclusion. With that being said, let's do just that.
   Here is a wine that some might not care for as it is very in your face and certainly not subtle on its presentation. If you enjoy a more....." watered down" expression of the varietal then this is not your wine as the wine is in your face, vibrant and full of expressive acidity. I promise you guys, allow the wine to swirl around your mouth and you will see that it will simply burst with that unique classic Marlborough flavor. The wine possesses a crispness and refreshingness that makes it a PERFECT Spring/Summertime/Pool wine. Now I want to talk for just a second about something that in my mind might sort of ....cheapen the wine. The wine is available in a large 1.5 L Cardboard container as well. For the life of me, I can't understand this at all. Why would such a great wine who has everyone raving about it, cheapen its label?
Whatever the reason I have to admit that if the wine in this container holds to its bottle presentation, it might just be worth it. What is my rating on the wine? Well, folks, on The desert Wine Guy rating scale I am giving this wine a solid 93 points. Please do remember what I said though, this wine is NOT for everyone as it has some astringency to it, and can be perceived as being overdone in the acidity category. For those who do want the Marlborough expression of the varietal I say, buy a few bottles of the wine and enjoy them.

                                                                                                                                The Desert Wine Guy

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The Desert Wine Guy - 2021 Fox Run, Dry Riesling

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