I Spy…

Posted on July 7, 2009 by Sonadora

*Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from Spy Valley Winery.

With my little eye a wine that’s an excellent buy! (Oh, and I rhyme too!)  I first came across Spy Valley wines at the 2008 Wine Blogger Conference (woohoo, only 18 days until I meet up with my wine blog friends again!) and then had a chance to try them again at the New Zealand Winemakers’ Tasting in Dc.   Folks from the winery contacted me and offered to send along a more complete sampling of their offerings, so I will have 5 wines to bring you over the next weeks!  We first tried the 2008 Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc.  It clocked in at 13% alcohol by volume, had a screw cap closure, and retails for as low as $12 on the internet.

On the nose I found lime, grapefruit, citrus, crushed stone, lemon, and tropical undertones.  The nose smelled like a wine that would be tart and crisp, and the mouth did not disappoint!  In the mouth I got grapefruit, lime, almost a hint of green apple, tart citrus, passion fruit, and an herbal quality.  I found the wine to be really tart, extremely refreshing, and with great acidity and structure.  We drank it with grilled pork chops and corn on the cob, sitting on our back patio enjoying a lovely evening.

This wine got an 89 from the Wine Spectator, so I am cross-posting this post over at The 89 Project.

Filed under: New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc, White, Wine |

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5 Responses

  1. Randy Watson, on July 7, 2009 at 10:01 am said:

    Very cool! Love the rhymes too! 🙂

    Cheers!

  2. Mark, on July 7, 2009 at 12:24 pm said:

    Megan,
    I look forward to trying the Spy Valley NZ SB. It’s truly amazing how many outstanding SB’s are produced in Marlborough, New Zealand.

    Have you had an opportunity to try the Villa Maria Private Bin, Brancott “Reserve” or Kim Crawford NZ SB?

  3. winelabelreview, on July 7, 2009 at 9:58 pm said:

    Cool label. I find some NZ SBs to be a little over the top grassy.. I had a great one at the NY Wine Expo: INVIVO. Ever had it?

  4. Joe, on July 7, 2009 at 11:08 pm said:

    How’d that pair up with grilled pork chops? I guess it really depends on how they were seasoned…never a pairing I would think of, but would love to try it if it was good!

  5. Sonadora, on July 11, 2009 at 1:26 pm said:

    Thanks Randy

    Mark, it’s sure worth a try. I have had the Kim Crawford many times and the Brancott once or twice, but not the Villa, I’ll keep an eye.

    WineLabel-haven’t heard of that one! I haven’t been finding the 08s to be too grassy this year.

    Joe-Was ok. Not a pairing I’d try again, but it was so hot and I wanted a crisp white!

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