By The Glass
CHUCK FURUYA
Sauvignon Blanc
deserves to move out
of Chardonnay’s shadowFor my generation, Sauvignon Blanc was a uniquely interesting grape used to make two tasty, provocatively minerally, effortlessly light white wines from France's Loire Valley -- namely Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. These were nowhere near Chardonnay in character and were thankfully very different from anything one could find from the Golden State.
Sadly, however, Sauvignon Blanc has been in the shadow of Chardonnay for many years.
Its biggest moment (in this country, anyway) was probably in the 1970s, when Robert Mondavi introduced what was then a highly innovative Sauvignon Blanc-based white wine, which he named "Fume" Blanc. This created quite an international stir and gave the grape variety some needed recognition. Other wineries soon jumped on the varietal bandwagon.
Today, a mid- to upper-end Sauvignon Blanc usually means a dry, wonderfully flavored, light- to medium-bodied California wine that has been aged, at least partially, in some type of oak barrel. The extreme cases are Chardonnay wannabes -- showy, mouthfilling and oaky.
These four wines will show you the remarkable potential of this grape, especially with food:
2000 Sauvignon Blanc, Babcock "Eleven Oaks" ($25): Year in and year out, this has to be one of the finest (if not the finest) Sauvignon Blanc produced in the United States. The style is surprisingly un-oaky and very UN-Californian.
As winemaker Bryan Babcock would say, "this wine is truly made in the vineyard!" (I would add that it is made from passionate and dedicated farming of the right grape in the right location and climate). The resulting wine is remarkably worldly and like no other. The 2000 is intense, concentrated and complex, yet very sleek, with a long, long finish.
Food? Marinate a mahimahi fillet in olive oil, crushed garlic, a dash of chile pepper water, a healthy pinch of Hawaiian salt and pepper. Sear or grill and at the last moment sprinkle with finely chopped onion chive and thyme.
2000 Cheverny, Domaine du Salvard (under $20): Cheverny is an appellation down the Loire River from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume in central France. Salvard has a patch of 50-year-old vines grown in ancient limestone soils that yield one of my favorite Sauvignon Blancs.
The wine is always exotically perfumed. In some vintages it smells like guava and passion fruit and in others, pineapple and lychee, all with an underlying minerality and a lemon-lime edge that livens up the palate. I love to sip this wine as an aperitif or with a slice of interesting goat cheese. But it is also apropos with salads and freshly herbed seafood. This is a wine to enjoy, as it is like no other!
2000 Sauvignon Blanc, Domaine du Coussergues ($11 to $12): Coussergues is from southwest France just below Bordeaux. Sauvignon Blanc is by far the best thing they produce. It is tasty, full of life and vigor, with an amazing lightness on the palate that few others can achieve. Most people would find it reminiscent of a Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Well-chilled, it would be ideal on a hot day at a café or by the pool. I like to serve it with salads and richer broths with lots of green vegetables. At this price, you really cannot go wrong!
2000 Chateau Ducasse ($17 to $18): This is an absolutely delicious, tantalizing, lemon-edged Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend from Bordeaux, France, from a great producer. It tastes like no other. Toss some seasoned white shrimp in a wok with hot peanut oil. Remove the shrimp, then deglaze the wok with white wine. Add finely chopped garlic, capers and a squeeze of lemon. Reduce by a third, then fold in a chunk of butter. Pour over the shrimp. Serve with this wine, please.
Chuck Furuya is president of Fine Wine
Imports and Hawaii's only master sommelier.
This column is a weekly lesson in wine
pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals.
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