Lots o' Sauvignon Blanc

Deal Chatter Gourmet
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Lots o’ Sauvignon Blanc

Proud to Serve Winery North Coast 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Case
$99.99 $̶2̶5̶1̶.̶0̶0̶ 60% off List Price
2009 Sauvignon Blanc, North Coast

Chance Creek Mendocino Sauvignon Blanc 6-Pack
$64.99 $̶1̶1̶3̶.̶0̶0̶ 42% off List Price
2010 Chance Creek Redwood Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Mendocino County

Project Paso Sauvignon Blanc 6-Pack
$54.99 $̶1̶0̶7̶.̶0̶0̶ 49% off List Price
2010 Project Paso Sauvignon Blanc

Woot Cellars Quaffmor 2010 Sauvignon Blanc 5-Pack
$52.99 $̶9̶0̶.̶0̶0̶ 41% off List Price
2010 Woot Cellars Quaffmor Sauvignon Blanc

3

I wait all week for the new plus event and alas, an ode my absolute least favorite varietal. Happy Friday to me.

4

The Chance Creek was actually pretty darn good, got it when first offered.

5

I’ve had two of the four wines offered here. I’ll preface this by mentioning that Sauvignon Blanc is my favorite white varietal, though that preference is not as strongly felt as it once was.

I prefer dry wines. A very subtle sweetness is alright in whites, but if it’s much beyond the level of perceptibility I tend not to like it.

FWIW, my current total stock of white wines, including Sauvignon Blancs, Chards, Viogniers and Rieslings, is 14 bottles. I probably have ten times as many bottles of red.

2010 Project Paso Sauvignon Blanc: The short version is that I did not like the bottle I had, which I found austere. For the long version, see my notes on the >>original thread.<< Note that I did not get this wine from the previous Woot offer; a local wine shop happens to carry it, and I tasted a bottle purchased there.

2010 Woot Cellars Quaffmor Sauvignon Blanc: This was the first Sauvignon Blanc I opened after the Project Paso, a few weeks later. As a result, I couldn’t help but make comparisons between the two. In short, I thought the Quaffmor was considerably more enjoyable than the Project Paso. Here are the notes I made that day:

A good summer sipper on a hot day. Best chilled, but does not develop strange flavors, get too sweet or fall apart as it warms, like other inexpensive Sauvignon Blancs sometimes do. Flavors well balanced on the first day, with lemon grass, slightly sweet grapefruit and a hint of green apple matched by a mild acid tartness. On day 2 fresh cut grass dominates the palate, though not objectionably.

I have a couple bottles of the Quaffmor unopened, plus a couple bottles of Inspiration Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc in my chiller. If I didn’t have any Sauvignon Blanc around, I would consider going in for one of the Quaffmor offer here.

I have not tried the Chance Creek or Proud To Serve SBs. I would like to, but these offers are too many bottles for me. (Even the Quaffmor offer, with only five bottles, is excessive; were I to get it, I would split it with a friend.)

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Darn. . . I was really hoping to see Long Meadow Ranch on this SB offer.

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Thanks, Moondigger – those are excellent notes, appreciated. I think my taste in SB is similar: it has to be dry or very close to it, otherwise it’s no good.

Interested to hear about the others on offer here if anyone has experience with them.

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+1 My favorite SB from WW

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Agreed. I will look for the notes I shared on a previous offer and will repost. I will likely go in on one as the Summer weather calls for it!

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Haven’t had the other two, but I was decidedly unimpressed by the Quaffmor - it just wasn’t there.

I’d love to see some really good SB - Dry Creek, Frog’s Leap, St.Supery, even Longmeadow Ranch, Kent Rasmussen, etc.

My wallet is quite safe with these, unlike the Pinot last week where I topped up on the Winters Hill.

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For -$11, I think it’s alright, and much more pleasant than the Project Paso, which was my most recent point of comparison. I’ve had far better Sauvignon Blancs than the Quaffmor, but none of my old favorites can be had for $11.

One of my favorites used to be St. Supery, but my local wine shops stopped carrying it about five or six years ago. If I were more into whites than I am, I might be more motivated to find another source.

I liked the Winter’s Hill Pinot quite a bit. I still have two left, as well as a bunch of other Pinot, including almost a case of Buena Vista Ramal I had no room for but had to buy when it went on sale for $10/bottle plus shipping. My storage problem is getting worse every day… And so I didn’t buy more Winter’s Hill.

My bias for reds has kept me from trying many Sauvignon Blancs lately. Of those you mention here, I’ve only had the St. Supery, and that was years ago. Maybe I’ll keep an eye out for the others – though that won’t help my storage problem at all. Too much wine, too little time.

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Here is what I posted April 21st re: Chance SB:

2010 chance creek Sauv blanc
Context: SB is my favorite varietal but I’ve only had experience with CA and NZ versions. My preference is the likes of Twenty Rows and LMR WW has offered in the past.

Saturday, 11AM in Los Angeles, 80 degrees outside!

Pop n pour  from fridge:
Color: clear pale yellow
Nose: muted since a bit cold but wife says smells clean and fresh…

after swirling I’m getting some pineapple, stone fruit, some slight lavender? I get some popcorn there…buttered one from the microwave…slight though
Spring flowers according to wife

Taste: slight viscousness feel on the tongue, a bit of heat but not in a bad way, sour lemons…nice acidity…Wife likes it.

Not your typical CA tropical fruit Sauv nor a NZ grassy Sauv…something in the middle? Very crisp and enjoyable. NO RS I assume and no perceived sweetness either…which is my style. The back label says a splash of viogner added which had me a bit worried about sweetness. None there…

11:15 close to room temperature…getting more fruit but not strong aRomatic wine…does not jump out at me like typical Viogners so I suspect less than 5% is added to the blend.

Wine has nice medium legs which makes sense since label says it spent some time in oak barrels…no oakiness to speak of but Im sure the viscosity is due to the oak…very nice mouthfeel…not cloying or heavy on the palate

Taste: heat all gone…not sour but tangy…very citrusy grapefruit…not red but yellow

Mouthfeel: reminds me of the Dusani  Pinot grigio i had previously from WW crossed with a crisp, Sauv blanc…

Wife: smells like.when we are driving in wine country with windows rolled down
Smooth finish…acidity is balanced…wife guesses winery price of $25 b/c organic and willing to pay $15.

Compared to other SB we’ve had she gave it a 7/10.

Note: we opened a buttonwood 2010 Sauv blance signature blend (alc 14.7% and 91 SB and 11 semillon) that was $12 msrp and paid $9 club member. Wife tasted side by side and preferred chance creek. She also guessed 18/bottle for the buttonwood…just so you know where she is coming from

3PM both of us finished bottle while kids played in the water. Wife loves the crispness and wants more. I like it but not as much as her, a bit too citrusy for my liking (I favor tropical notes in SB) but can tell a well-made wine.

Verdict: very enjoyable and would definitely be in if the price is right. I would guess $16 winery price…so $12 delivered is what would make me pull the trigger

Sorry if review disjointed at Ike’s it is very difficult for me to cut and paste on ths iPad thing.

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My notes on the chance creek
4/20/2013: Opened at 4:30 and poured 1/2 into a 375 for tomorrow. at 7pm I had a glass with dinner. Clear, light muted yellow. Nose was initially muted with some green apple and wet stone. As it warmed more citrus and pineapple came through as well. On the tongue it has a nice rounded feel which I am sure is from a small amount of oak that was used and it still remains very light. Finish is medium and has a slightly sour note. I had a 2nd glass through the vinturi and it was even more muted than the first glass so the vinturi didn’t appear to help in the least bit.

Not the overly acidic citrus bombs of the NZ variety but enough fruit and acidity to hold its own against light fare. I would call this is a definite food wine but it will get drowned out by heavier and spicier dishes so appetizers and light fare only. Not sure what the retail price is on this is as I could find very little info online. I would recommend it in the mid to low teens, I think once you get beyond that its got some pretty stiff competition.

No formal notes on the quaffmor, but my wife did enjoy it but not enough for a reorder.

We have not had the other two.

14

Same here, that was outstanding. BUT, the Chance Creek is great juice, the “specs” are spot on as far as I’m concerned.
It’s well balanced and very drinkable with food like grilled fish, some not too stinky cheese, or on it’s own.
I might scoop up another pack before the sale is over…

15

My notes on the Quaffmor:
Nose of grapefruit, grass and lemon-lime zest. On the palate - grapefruit, lemon grass and green apple, with bracing acidity and a slight malolactic component. I’m only getting a hint of pineapple and probably wouldn’t have noticed it but for previous reviews. Tartness on the medium finish. Day 2 - now the pineapple is very evident on the palate, along with some mild bitterness on the finish. Overall, better on day 1 but still quite “quaffable” on day 2.

…and my abbreviated notes on the Chance Creek:
Scott Harvey was kind enough to present this wine as we kicked off our after-dinner tasting party in Wooster, OH last night. Made by Scott’s friend, winemaker Lou Bock, it’s a crowd pleaser that bridges the gap between old and new world - highlighting the best of both winemaking styles.

Lemon, grapefruit and citrus on the palate with a touch of grassiness. Crisp minerality and enough acid to carry the fruit through the semi-tart, medium finish. This one should be popular on patios this summer.

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You really should try a few more so that you give the varietal a fair chance… Ha,Ha. This wine and fresh Dungeness Crab will have you singing the praises of a new friend. SB. I share this wine with folks who dont like Sauvignon Blanc a lot at public events and they change their mind 99% of the time because they have been stuck in their own concept of what they like and dont. I guarantee that if you can get a bottle of this wine you will think more highly of SB. Thanks, Chance Creek Lou

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I have to say that I’m a traditionalist: I really prefer a dry Johannisberg Riesling - upper Mosel, Rheingau, or good California - with Dungeness crab. Perhaps because that’s the way I had it first as a kid, but I think the delicacy of the crab and the delicacy of the Riesling are a marriage made in Heaven. But, YMMV.

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I don’t know how many New York Rieslings you’ve tried, but I’d recommend giving the Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling a try sometime. It’s pretty great IMO.

As to the Sauvignon Blancs, I did some scouting of my local wine shops yesterday and found the St. Supery and Dry Creek. It’s nice to find the St. Supery locally again, and it’ll be good to try the Dry Creek, which I’ve never had. I was unable to find any of the others mentioned, including those in this Plus offer.

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My exposure to NY Riesling has been fairly limited, even though I live in CT. I have found many of those I have had to be only ‘ok’ and the better ones (e.g. Konstantin Frank) expensive from a QPR standpoint in comparison to German and Alsatian Riesling.