Very pale silver appearance. Strong nose of citrus and ripe apple, along with a vegetal quality. Dry, strong acidity, medium body. Strong lemon along with grapefruit and pear. This is a really decent Sauv Blanc; too bad it appears they don’t produce it any more (as of date of writing, the 8th Generation site doesn’t list a recent vintage). About $23 at Crosstown.
I enjoyed the 2010 Marlborough, and have bought a few more bottles since, so picked this up today when I saw it at Kitsilano Wine Cellar. The label says it was “fermented in old oak barrels using wild yeast,” so I was intrigued.
Appearance is clear, almost-medium yellow-gold with a bit of a green tinge. The nose does have a hint of wood but is dominated by ripe banana, stone fruit, and citrus. In the mouth this has a bit of sweetness, high acidity, and is medium bodied. The flavours are a well-balanced complex of subtle lemon, grapefruit, again stone fruit, along with a snitch of sharp green pepper; and, if I’m not overly prejudiced by the label, a bit of distinctive yeastiness. Excellent length and the mix continues to evolve nicely in the finish. Overall very good, and definitely recommended; I’ll head back to Kits for another couple of bottles.
CAD$43. See Greywacke.
Clear, pale lemon-gold appearance. Clean, medium intensity grapefruit, lemon, hints of ripe tropical fruits, and a touch of grassiness. Dry, high acidity, and medium body. Mainly citrus in the mouth, with some appealing floral-spice notes. Not much length. 13% alcohol. Overall good, especially at the price—just over $16 at Crosstown—though pretty straightforward. Cheap and cheerful, as they say; but it’s tempting to say that the flavours of this wine are more forward due to the organic production, as I find is often the case: I have to search out more organically produced wines.
See Emiliana Organic Vineyards.
Clear, pale gold-green-grey appearance. Clean, medium intensity ripe tropical fruits—banana, in particular—and slight vegetal aromas. Dry, high acidity, medium body. Palate is dominated by lemon with the ripe fruits relegated to the background; a slight floral bent as well and a hint of green pepper. Medium length. 14% alcohol. $26.50 at Crosstown; see Ata Rangi.
Clear, pale silver-straw in the glass. Clean, intense tropical fruits on the nose—grapefruit with lime—and a grassiness, almost a dry sage like some of the Okanagan wines have from time to time, along with a hint of the typical NZ green capsicum aroma. Dry, very dry, with high acidity of course, and a medium body. Citrus, citrus, citrus, mostly lemon, on the palate, with more grapefruit, with that hint of the original fruit sugars. Medium length with a finish of more of the same. 13% alcohol. A straightforward wine but I do recommend this one as it delivers the best of this particular ilk at a reasonable price point ($26 at Kitsilano Wine Cellar). See Giesen Wines.
Drinking this with another straightforward staple, Citrus Collards with Raisins Redux from Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine by Bryant Terry.
Clear, very pale appearance with a slight bit of green. Clean, intense nose of pineapple and lemon, green pepper, and dry grass. Dry, high acidity, and a light-plus body. Intense lemon and just general citrus, balanced by hints of ripe tropical fruits. Good long finish with the citrus dominating; crisp, sharp. 13% alcohol. I enjoyed the 2010; this is also recommended. An enjoyable drink with good complexity. $26.50 at Crosstown.
Clear, pale gold in the glass. Clean, intense nose of ripe tropical fruits—banana, pineapple, mango—and capsicum. Dry, high acidity, medium body, dominated again by tropical fruits, along with apple and a hint of the typical green vegetal qualities, all very nicely balanced. A real kick at 14% alcohol (though the winemaker’s notes claim 13.5%), and good length. Recommended. $27 at Kitsilano Wine Cellar. See Babich Wines.
Clear, pale gold in the glass. Clean, medium intensity floral nose with ripe fruits and citrus, and a slight bell pepper aroma. Dry, high acidity, almost-medium body. Palate is heavy on the lemon, with a strong ripeness coming through along with vegetal notes. Medium-plus length. 13.5% alcohol. Overall very good; recommended. $36 at Kitsilano Wine Cellar. See Domaine Serge Laloue.
Clear, pale silver in the glass, perhaps with a touch of green. Clean, medium-plus intensity grapefruit, ripe tropical fruits, and bell pepper nose. Dry, high acidity, medium body. Very crisp with strong vegetal and lemon dominating, along with ripe banana. Medium length. 13.5% alcohol. A very solid NZ Sauv Blanc; recommended. About $32 at Crosstown. See Greywacke.
Clear, pale silver-gold in the glass. Clean, pronounced and appealing grapefruit and fresh vegetal nose. Dry with high acidity and medium body; green pepper, lime, and tropical fruits nicely balanced in the mouth. Citrus-mineral finish with nice length. Overall good; recommended. 13.5% alcohol. $33 at Firefly Fine Wines and Ales. See Dog Point Vineyard; and winemaker’s notes (PDF).
