I was privileged to attend a lunch featuring several Sauv Blancs from Manila's best importer of Kiwi wines, and another importer specializing in American wines. This was done at the Rockwell branch of the venerable Le Souffle restaurant.
Honig Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2007 - Very light color, with a slightly greenish cast. Gentle, herbal/grassy nose. A very rich, creamy, silky style of SB, which I have rarely encountered. Lightly smoky on the finish. Makes a good first impression but the richness makes it rather tiring to drink. Very good but the novelty fades after more than 2 glasses.
Spottswoode Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2007 - Light yellow/green. Green pepper, herbal nose. Crisp, very light guava. Dryish. Slightly bitter finish. Medium-bodied. Very good.
The Ned Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007 - Underripe guava. Crisp. Passionfruit. Refreshing and very clean on the palate. I have enjoyed this wine in the past and it doesn't disappoint now. Excellent. Quintessential NZ SB.
We took a break from the whites and shifted to a red for the main course:
Chateau d'Aiguilhe 2000 - Cotes de Castillon, en magnum. Very dark and youthful. Good nose. Tannins are already rather soft. Sweet and plummy with smoke and tobacco accents. Might possibly get even better with another year or so in bottle but it's really good now. Personally, I'd rather drink it sooner than later. I'm pretty sure an example in a regular bottle would be virtually perfect.
Back to another white.
Mount Riley Seventeen Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2006 - Another kiwi SB. Fermented in neutral oak. Crisp, with some sweetness. The oak is not discernable at all except perhaps by the heavier weight of this wine. Very good.
Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc Noble Late Harvest 2006 - Light yellow gold. Sweet nose. Good acidity balances the sweetness. Lightish. Pineapple and mango just before it fully ripens. The non-Filipinos didn't get that description at all but we Filipinos were able to pick it up. I guess it's just something we grew up with. A bit of burnt sugar. Very good and clean tasting. I think this is the first time I've tried a pure SB dessert wine.
We agreed to do another lunch on December 9.