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  • 90+ Cellars NZ Sauvignon Blanc Lot 2 2018

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    The 90+ Cellars NZ Sauvignon Blanc Lot 2 2018 is sourced from vines grown in the Awatere Valley of the Marlborough region on the South Island of New Zealand. 90+ Cellars are Negociantes, that means they purchase left-over or surplus wine from Wineries all over the world. This is a centuries old French tradition and it works because negociantes buy surplus wine (an excellent profit source for wineries since their costs are recouped from the original wine, selling the surplus is pure profit) and sell it under their own labels at a significant discount from the origin wine and not directly competing with the original wine. The consumer is able to purchase a successful wine from a leading producer, though the identity must remain hidden for this arraignment to work, at a bargain price. But that doesn't mean folks are not trying to do some detective work to figure out who makes what. Sauvignon Blanc Lot 2 is 90+ Cellars best-selling wine, for good reason, it's a great bang for the buck wine. But here is a story I heard years ago about the producer of this wine, the story goes that once the winery was done sticking their own labels on the bottles and changed the label machine to slap on 90+ labels, they forgot to switch out the corks  and all the 90+ Cellars Lot 2 shipped with the original wineries name printed on the cork. Their cover was blown and the whole world now knows that this $17 Sauvignon Blanc is selling for 90+ Cellar prices. I always believed that story, until I got a bottle in my hands and saw it has a screw top, so much for the cork story. There is another Negociant company who was supposed to be selling Screaming Eagle Cab (a super exclusive and expensive Napa Red) for 1/2 the price, that bottling sold out on record time. Was the story true? Maybe, maybe not. But whatever was in the bottle was probably a really good wine at a very nice price, that is how a negociant works. The alcohol content for the Lot 2 is 12.5%. The color is a clean, clear wheat yellow. The nose is bold and beautiful, all tropical fruit, peaches and pears, lemon, apple, grapefruit, and flowers.  This is classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, not at all shy, with bold, but balanced flavors and lacking some of NZ Sauv Blanc excesses. It tastes of pink lemonade, a splash of pineapple, green apple, and peach. The mid-palate offers ripe, sweet peach, lemon grass and lime. The acidity is excellent, this is one of those lip smacking White wines that I am so fond of. The finish is sleek and long. The 90+ Cellars NZ Sauvignon Blanc Lot 2 2018 is an excellent example of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc selling at a bargain price, I found it on sale for $8.99 and I suspect the original wine sells in the $15 to $17 range. This is a nice wine, good flavor, good acidity, good price. Now, if you need to know who made the wine you drink you can pay more and be sure or you can Google Awatere Valley wines and try to match the tasting notes on the 90+ Cellars website with some likely candidates. Or maybe it is better to not think too hard about it and simply enjoy a terrific glass of wine at a very nice price.

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    5 min
  • Charles Smith Eve Chardonnay 2016

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    The Charles Smith Eve Chardonnay 2016 is 100% Chardonnay sourced from Washington State. Yes, I know that is a vague description for grape sourcing, but some of my confusion comes from the label. Typically with Washington State wine in this price range (I found it on sale for $8.99) the label shows Columbia Valley as the place of origin. There are 14 AVA's in Washington and 12 are either the Columbia Valley or are located inside the Columbia Valley AVA, so there is a very good chance Columbia Valley will be shown on the label. Charles Smith Wines all show Washington State as place of origin, the largest possible boundary designation. The tasting notes show the grapes came from a single vineyard, the Evergreen vineyard in the Ancient Lakes AVA, inside Columbia Valley. Charles Smith Wines are very upfront on their sourcing, if 8 vineyards are used they will list all 8 vineyards. If a value priced wine is actually a single vineyard wine the producers normally will show that off, but here they went the other direction, show the single vineyard in the tasting notes and be loud and around about Washington State on the label. Or maybe grapes from outside the Columbia Valley are used and just not shown. This is an un-oaked Chardonnay, fermented and aged in stainless steel vats. 20% of the juice underwent malolactic fermentation, that is a process where the tart natural acid is converted to softer more rounded tasting acid. The Eve Chardonnay was aged 6 months "on lees". On lees is important with any wine, but especially Chardonnay, that means the dead yeast and grape residue are left in the vat with the wine and stirred, the more you stir the more the wine takes on a creamy texture and taste, a salty, nutty flavor is also common. Every winemaker produces their Chardonnay different than the next one. The alcohol content is 13.5%. The color is a clean, clear wheat yellow. The nose is lemon, melon, and pear, a little apple, a touch of stone fruit and a floral bouquet. This Chardonnay has a soft, plump mouthfeel, sometimes unoaked Chardonnay can be a little sharp. It tastes of green apple, mixed with peach, lemon curd, and melon. The mid-palate shows the effects of "on lees" with salty cashew, and a little vanilla cream, followed by a late hit of guava. The acidity has me smacking my lips, which is always a very good sign, especially with White wine. You want the acidity to stimulate your palate, not bite or sizzle. The tasting notes indicate that this Chardonnay has the acidity to be cellared and aged. The the finish is rich and lengthy. I like the Charles Smith Eve Chardonnay 2016, I think Washington produces some of the best value priced wine, they tend to be plush and fruit-forward, but always with balance. I have been into Chardonnay with some oak conditioning and aging lately, but this un-oaked Chard hits the spot. It has a terrific mouthfeel, not too smooth, not too tart, a solid mix of flavors and excellent acidity.  

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    4 min

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