Page 245 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2024 LIMA

BY TOM GABLE

Exploring the World of Sauvignon Blanc

s requested by friends of the Sauvignons); lemon and passion fruit; green
Anything But Chardonnay apple and guava; candied green apple and
(ABC) persuasion, I’d like to passion fruit; herbaceous, grass, mint and
A make a eucalyptus; green
case for enjoying more herbs and rosemary
Sauvignon Blanc from flowers; lovely vegetal
anywhere in the world. aromas including sweet
The grape is made into peas, asparagus, and
many different and at‐ peppers.
tractive styles to suit From there, we
most palates. It delved into the descrip‐
matches well with tive words from the
foods, from a plate of judges on impressions
mixed cheeses (goat, on the palate: juicy
cow, sheep) to appetiz‐ acidity, tart, fresh,
ers (calamari, charcu‐ prickly, spherical, and
terie, and crab cakes) a sense of movement
to seafood and shellfish from tongue to cheeks
entrees usually re‐ (but balanced by the
served for Chardonnay. depth of fruit in the af‐
Exploring the world tertaste). Oak aging by
of Sauvignon Blanc will winemakers in some re‐
test your senses and gions adds other levels
give you a new vocab‐ of complexity. The best
ulary for describing dry wines show different
white wines (no sweet distinctive characteris‐
wines in this piece). In reading tasting notes tics, most notably bright acidity, hints of
from Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers stone fruit, key lime, gooseberry, passion
in ranking wines in different competitions fruit, grapefruit, threads of chalk and flint in
and for publications, I found this array of wines from some appellations, hints of salin‐
comparisons in how judges described the ity in others, and a round lushness from those
aromas: lemon, grapefruit and wet pave‐ blended with Semillon and oak-aged.
ment; grapefruit pith; lemon pith and yellow The International Organisation of Vine
herbs; green apple, white flowers, and wet and Wine (OIV), an intergovernmental scien‐
pavement (yes, some find this a marker for tific, standards-setting, and technical orga‐

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