The Gang Does Sauvignon No matter what the season, Sauvignon Blanc is the number one white varietal at Gang Central. We’ve long preferred it to the big C(hardonnay), as it tends to be more affordable and features unique characteristics that we find irresistible. The Director, Bored Doughnut, Canadian Zinfan and this taster convened recently for a not so random sampling of Sauvignon from around the world. (Sadly, Zinchick and Mrs. BD were unable to join in.) We revisited a few late models of those tried a year previous, along with some new selections, and all four were exceptional. Whilst stoking up the smoker (the maiden voyage of a Christmas gift from the Zinfolk) to do a couple of whole chickens, we began with our first selection.
1997 Serge Dagueneau Pouilly Fume "Les Pentes" $18; 12.5 % alc.: This is the 3rd straight solid vintage of this fine wine that has been enjoyed at Gang Central, and I found it even better than the En Chailloux. A medium straw and more effusive in aroma, it was rather different than the first. CZ described a note of "honeysuckle" on the nose, while BD chimed in with "mushroom;" I found flavors and aromas of green apple/pear/wet stone and hints of fig and herb. It shows the requisite acidity, and yet it’s smooth as velvet, even creamier than the En Chailloux. It also has a slightly honeyed quality about it, but it’s certainly not sweet. A personal favorite, and certainly much better the 79 that The Expecterator rated it.
1997 Rochioli Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley (a gift from califusa); 13.5 % alc.: I wanted to compare this terrific Cal Sauvignon with the others for obvious reasons; it is yet another distinct expression of the varietal, and a different one at that. I spoke with califusa regarding this only a few hours before the tasting, and he told me that while the fruit was just starting to fade ever so slightly, it was still drinking very nicely. I found the pale straw to be much as I remembered it, with big spicy fruit that features rich pear/grapefruit/fig/cinnamon and nutmeg flavors and aromas that were the most complex of the four wines tasted; it was also the richest, most unctuous of the bunch, seeming almost fat by comparison. This is probably why it wasn’t my favorite; it seemed just a little overdone to me. Nevertheless, there’s no doubt that it is one heck of a fine wine that satisfies immensely. We were fairly evenly divided in our favorites. Mark preferred the En Chailloux, saying it really got his saliva going. Kim liked the Rochioli best, while Alan couldn’t make up his mind between that and the Cloudy Bay. As stated, the Cloudy Bay was my favorite, but the "Les Pentes" was a close second. Happily, this was another one of those occasions where there wasn’t a lot to choose between any of these world class Sauvignons, which can only be a win-win situation!
Just a few weeks later, some of us assembled at Gang Central once again. I’d been looking for an opportunity to check on the progress of one of the 1990 Silex in the cellar, and since the weather was gorgeous and the ‘deauxnut had a ’97 model of the same to contribute, we were set.
1997 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly Fume Silex $50; 13.5 % alc.: This medium straw is lighter in color and body than the ’90, and shows flavors and aromas of grapefruit/cat spray/mineral and a hint of detergent and creamy oak on the finish. The feline note surprised me a bit, because it was my understanding that Didier Dagueneau strives to eliminate this from his Sauvignons. Not that this bothered any of us, as it is textbook Sauvignon, with excellent concentration and intensity. It received wows all around, but I wouldn’t open another for anywhere between two to five years, when it should develop a more creamy texture and some nice subtleties in its complexity. Terrific stuff! |
1997 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly Fume En Chailloux 1997 Serge Dagueneau Pouilly Fume "Les Pentes" 1998 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 1997 Rochioli Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley 1990 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly Fume Silex 1997 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly Fume Silex
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Playoff Diary '02
A Dandy Rhône and a
Night at the Joe
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