Attributes:

Chateau Menaut

Graves, France

Sauvignon Blanc

750 ML

2003: WineEnthusiast Rating: 86

crisp, fresh, soft

1998: WineSpectator Rating: 85

fresh, lively

medium-bodied

1997: WineSpectator Rating: 87

medium- to full-bodied

1996: WineSpectator Rating: 87

medium- to full-bodied

rich

delicious

1995: WineSpectator Rating: 88

medium- to full-bodied

Food Matches:

Traditionally the only region in Bordeaux to make both top-quality reds and whites, Graves has lost much of its land to the new appellation of Pessac-Léognan. What remains is a collection of medium-to full-bodied whites and reds. The reds made from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are supple, earthy, and tobacco-scented. The whites are made from Sémillon, Sauvignon d Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes. These honeyed, soft, nutty wines are among the greatest in France.

Comes mostly from California, France, New Zealand, and South Africa. Its highly acidic wines are often suggestive of herbs or grass. Light to medium bodied and usually dry, European versions are generally not oaky while California Sauvignon Blanc can take on many of the qualities of Chardonnay. France has two classic wine regions for the Sauvignon Blanc gape: Bordeaux and the Loire Valley The Bordeaux wine is called Bordeaux Blanc and the two best known of the Loire wines are called Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. In Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is sometimes blended with Sémillon.

Attributes:

Villa Maria

Marlborough, Australia/New Zealand

Sauvignon Blanc

750 ML

2006: WineSpectator Rating: 87

crisp

floral

2005: WineSpectator Rating: 91

lively

lemon, mineral

juicy

2004: WineSpectator Rating: 91

lively

lime, mineral, pear, pineapple

2004: WineEnthusiast Rating: 89

citrus, grapefruit, peach, pepper

juicy, ripe

2004: Tanzer Rating: 87

bright, fresh, lively

2003: WineSpectator Rating: 90

lively

apple, citrus

2002: WineSpectator Rating: 90

bright, tangy

2002: WineEnthusiast Rating: 85

full-bodied

racy

lime

Food Matches:

Comes mostly from California, France, New Zealand, and South Africa. Its highly acidic wines are often suggestive of herbs or grass. Light to medium bodied and usually dry, European versions are generally not oaky while California Sauvignon Blanc can take on many of the qualities of Chardonnay. France has two classic wine regions for the Sauvignon Blanc gape: Bordeaux and the Loire Valley The Bordeaux wine is called Bordeaux Blanc and the two best known of the Loire wines are called Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. In Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is sometimes blended with Sémillon.

When the first growers planted grapes in Marlborough in the 1970s (there is evidence of plantings as early as 1870s), it is unlikely they would have foreseen the extent of the growth and fame that the region’s wine industry would achieve, based upon a single varietal called Sauvignon Blanc. The distinctive pungency and zest fruit flavours of the first Marlborough wines, in particular Sauvignon Blanc, captured the imagination of the country's winemakers as well as international wine commentators and consumers and sparked an unparalleled boom in vineyard development. Worldwide interest in Marlborough wines, particularly Sauvignon Blanc, has continued to fuel that regional wine boom.

Attributes:

Te Awa

Hawkes Bay, Australia/New Zealand

Sauvignon Blanc

750 ML

2006: WineSpectator Rating: 88

tangy

2003: WineSpectator Rating: 85

lively

citrus, herbal

Food Matches:

Comes mostly from California, France, New Zealand, and South Africa. Its highly acidic wines are often suggestive of herbs or grass. Light to medium bodied and usually dry, European versions are generally not oaky while California Sauvignon Blanc can take on many of the qualities of Chardonnay. France has two classic wine regions for the Sauvignon Blanc gape: Bordeaux and the Loire Valley The Bordeaux wine is called Bordeaux Blanc and the two best known of the Loire wines are called Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. In Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is sometimes blended with Sémillon.

Hawke's Bay is situated on the east coast of the North Island and is one of New Zealand's oldest and finest wine regions. Between 1858 and 1876, Hawke's Bay formed the Hawke's Bay Province as a Province of New Zealand, after being separated from the Wellington Province. The Hawke's Bay wine region includes the hilly coastal land around the central bay, the floodplains in the north, the wide fertile Heretaunga Plains in the south, and a hilly interior stretching up into the Kaweka and Ruahine Ranges. Hawke's Bay has long, hot summers and cool winters. The climate is dry and temperate. The conditions in the hills favor Chardonnay which is the most important vine variety with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot also widely planted.