The Royal Tannin Bombs

9 Comments on "Suave Summer Sauv’s, mk ii – TRTB’s final (?) 2008 SB tasting (assaggio majoralus)"

1. 

   tally ho
   04/10/2008 at 12:48 pm Permalink

   The Nobilo showing was a real surprise for me as I’ve had this SB in the past and liked its crisp fruit, off-dry profile. Here’s where the badman reigns supreme- when tasted blind, this New Zealand contender was a stink bomb: in the nose and on the palate. Same can be said for the Kim Crawford, also from New Zealand. The Marlborough wine region in New Zealand gets lots of press and hype, but unless you’d rather graze than sip, these herbaceous wines are probably not for you. Stick to the Loire (Quincy) and Napa (Groth) Valleys for wines with crisp, bright citrus fruit, minerality and nice acid.

   It’s also a great idea to refer also to the tasting notes from our assaggio minoralus SB tastings for other hits and misses. It was a lot, HOT summer and tally and the badman did our part to leave no SB unturned as hours of tennis were viewed and a small child’s worth of cheese was consumed- a sacrifice we were willing to make for you, dear readers; )

2. 

   tally ho
   04/10/2008 at 12:52 pm Permalink

   I forgot to mention these Suave Sauv’s were excellent paired with our dinner- a spicy shellfish dish; sort of a summer bouillabaisse with crab, clams, mussels, scallops and shrimp in a spicy tomato broth served with lots of crusty bread.

3. 

   badman
   04/10/2008 at 5:42 pm Permalink

   For some reason I can’t find the assaggio minoralus notes pertaining to Sauvignon Blanc, so we’ll just have to stick with the assaggio majoralus notes I posted on our official tasting page.

4. 

   full throttle
   04/10/2008 at 8:11 pm Permalink

   I can’t even remember why I disliked the Groth as much as I did. I think I found it thin in the body, and I didn’t like the minerality of it. Other than that, I can’t remember much from it. I suppose I just wasn’t impressed.

5. 

   badman
   04/10/2008 at 11:28 pm Permalink

   Yes. I’d have to agree with you in the sense that although I’m not opposed to Sauvignon Blanc (as I am, say, Pinot Noir) I was not overly impressed with any of these wines.  I would not consider any of these “world class”, nor would I consider the research we did as all-encompassing and inclusive as we do for the varietals that really count, like Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon.  This SB tasting was a lot more on the practical side, with the stock at the local wine mart dictating our lineups more than seeking out some esoteric cult SB (do any exist?).

   So yeah I’m with ya’, I distinctly remember thinking that yes, the Groth is the best of the lot, but not a near-perfect wine or even a great wine by my yardstick.

   Which raises the question – maybe this’s as good as dry Sauvignon Blanc can get?

6. 

   Flamenco
   09/10/2008 at 10:28 am Permalink

   I think that’s the problem. Do you really want to drink Sauvignon Blancs in the first place? I’d rather not.

   Yes, Flamenco does occasionally drink wine, but prefers something other than a Sauvignon Blanc.

7. 

   badman
   09/10/2008 at 11:59 am Permalink

   Huh? Sauvignon Blanc is definitely the best and only real white wine worth drinking.  Period.  Now I love Loire Vouvray, which is made from Chenin Blanc, but I wouldn’t stand by that being a great noble wine.  If you don’t like ANY white wine at all then yes, your statement is valid.  But if you like any other white wine better than Sauvignon Blanc when you say “…prefers something other than a Sauvignon Blanc” then, well, there’s no accounting for taste.

8. 

   Flamenco
   09/10/2008 at 2:09 pm Permalink

   OK. I should have been more specific.
   I don’t drink white wines, period.

   Better?

9. 

   badman
   09/10/2008 at 2:18 pm Permalink

   All good.

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