Battle of the Sauvignon Blancs!
Monday, July 27th, 2009
It’s 102 degrees in Portland, Oregon today and I don’t have air conditioning. What a perfect time to open two Sauvignon Blancs! Let’s do something different this time… It’s fight night!
In the American corner, we have a bottle of Kelley & Young 2007, hailing from the Alexander Valley in California (home of Wines and Makers).
In the Kiwi corner, we have a lean, mean bottle of Nick Goldschmidt’s Boulder Bank 2008 straight from the vineyards of Marlborough, NZ.
I pop them both at the same time (unscrewing the Boulder Bank) and pour about three fingers of each into white wine glasses. I didn’t want to give any height advantages in this four-round bout.
Round One
Starting the round with a customary clinking of glasses, I notice that both appear to be quite similar in color: they are a light straw shade that is beautiful, soft and crystal clear.
Round Two
Kelley & Young comes out swinging when spun in the glass. After the wine surface lowers, the legs reveal themselves evenly as they run down the glass. The Boulder Bank has less distinguished legs that take slightly longer to form.
Round Three
Things are starting to warm up. Both wines are perspiring heavily, ready to be smelled. The Boulder Bank is more aggressive here, with a scent like a basket of fresh-picked green apples, complete with straw undertones. The K&Y is more subtle in this round, reminding me of sniffing the navel of a honeydew melon.
Round Four
In this fourth and final round, no punches are pulled. We dive straight in: The K&Y begins with a ripe grapefruit jab, followed by a lingering and powerful undercurrent of vanilla. This “creaminess” is unexpected and makes me think of oak barrels and flavors I normally associate with California chardonnays, but in an understated delivery that’s quite welcoming… The “sweet science” indeed. I came close to calling it a knockout…
…But then, not to be outdone, the Boulder Bank comes on strong in an explosion of tangerine-like citrus. There’s also a little spiciness there that keeps you on your toes. It’s both crisp and refreshing, without getting so dry that it threatens to dehydrate. This is a serious contender with a completely different style than its Californian counterpart. The bell sounds. We await the judges…
The Decision
The bottles stand side by side; the glasses are empty. These wines left it all in the ring. And the winner is… the winner is… It’s a DRAW, ladies and gentlemen! The contest is too close to call.
Both wines are amazing and exhibit the vast range of flavors that one varietal can exhibit in different parts of the world. My suggestion is to pit them head-to-head against each other for yourselves and make your own call. There are no losers when it comes to good wines!
Time to hit the showers.