I tasted the Sauvignon Republic Cellars Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (2004 vintage) over the weekend, and it was as good as I had hoped. I’ve already tried (and really enjoyed) their Russian River bottling, so I was curious about this one. And it was worth the $26 I paid (it’s available at several of the private wine stores). On a side note for a minute, the folks at Sauvignon Republic Cellars are dedicating all of their time and energy to producing Sauvignon Blanc. Given their name, that’s no surprise. They have three wines out right now (NZ, California and one from Stellenbosch in South Africa) and are coming out with a European bottling next spring (likely from the Loire Valley). The Marlborough was a beautiful golden-green colour, and had nothing but minerals (more on vitamins and minerals here) on the nose (more than I had expected from a Marlborough wine). In the mouth, it showed off some very well-balanced citrus and herbal
flavours with lots of tangy acidity and a long, almost sweet fruit
finish. It didn’t taste as overwhelming as some NZ Sauvignon Blancs that I’ve tried, and that long finish made it a perfect match for food (try oysters or anything with goat cheese for a nice pairing). I liked the Russian River Sauvignon Blanc a bit more than this one, but I do prefer the California style. But I’m really looking forward to trying the Stellenbosch when (if) it gets to Winnipeg. Keep your eyes on the private wine stores for these wines. On a side note, I’ll be in Calgary next weekend, and would like to hit at least one or two decent wine stores while I’m there. I haven’t been in Calgary for about three years, so I’d love some advice on interesting new wine stores in or near downtown.