Testing Older Sauvignon Blanc

Somehow the wine I write about seems to over-represent Sauvignon Blanc as though that were all I imbibed. Not the case, but as I have just 'sup-ed' Sav...

The Kahurangi Heaphy Estate Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2006 was pulled out in an attempt to cull some of the older Sauvignons from the cellar.

Deep gold with a very tinned asparagus nose. The palate is sweaty-tropical, full of really ripe banana and end of summer stonefruit. The vegetal aspect is barely aparent in the flavour instead there is a grainy, limey, slightly stone-y pertness. This is pungeant, squishy and a bit divisive.

Rich thinks that it's lost its freshness and I still feel that these squashy flavours are worth seeking out.

We ended up using the Craggy Range Te Muna Road Sauvignon Blanc 2007 as a foil for the other wine's character. Sometimes tasting in tandem in this fashion can help to solidify (or change) your opinions about a wine.

A usual Sauvignion pale gold in the glass. Aromatically feijoa, papaya and peach with soft acids in the mouth. A pleasant, flirty palate and just a bit flinty. This Sauvignon has a very long finish yet still seems a bit frivolous. A texture like a gorgeous red autumn apple.

Surprisingly, despite the not insignificant charms of the Craggy Range, I won in the end with Rich admitting to a fondness for the Kahurangi after all. It seems, with the advent of screwcaps, wines like Sauvignon Blanc that we traditionally drank young can be interesting later in life.