The Sauvignon Blanc Taste Off

The Sauvignon Blanc Taste Off - Episode #245

May 30, 2007

Gary Vaynerchuk explores these 4 Sauvignon Blancs and gives his 2 cents.

Comments on this episode(181) Leave a comment ›

“QOTD: Hands down, France is my favorite. I, too, love a good Sancerre…” by JayZee
“…” by maqvvy
View all 181 ›

Wines tasted in this episode:

2006 Coopers Creek Sauvignon BlancNew Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
Sterling Sauvignon BlancNapa Sauvignon Blanc
2006 Kingston Family Cariblanco Sauvignon BlancChilean Sauvignon Blanc
2005 Morin Sancerre Vieilles VignesSancerre Blanc

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181 Responses

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about 11 months ago

JayZee
QOTD: Hands down, France is my favorite. I, too, love a good Sancerre.
about 11 months ago

maqvvy
about 11 months ago

Mike
New Zealand, first. France Second. S. Africa bringing up third (have to agree with Chito, they are making some nice stuff these days, must be getting ready for the WORLD CUPS crowds in 2010). I tend to like the grassy New Zealand stuff more than some of the other others.
about 11 months ago

mavlrf
about 11 months ago

chito
New Zealand, first. Recently very impressed with So. Africa.
Thanks, Gary.
al
about 11 months ago

Lawrence Leichtman
Gary, I can’t get any episodes to run video just audio with a jerky video sort of playing in the background. Has anything been changed? Seems like you have been on a run of wines that you don’t really like.
about 11 months ago

Jeff
QOTD: France - without a doubt!
about 11 months ago

NathanN
QOTD: Not much of a doodler so I mostly drew shapes.

Thanks for cranking out the 12 episodes
about 11 months ago

Buff Daddy
QOTD:
NZ hands down. Quality to Price, off the charts. I always think of the word “steely” when I have a nice Sauv Blanc. That and green apples.
about 11 months ago

mikeyrad
qotd: nz, love that cat pee
about 11 months ago

Mike Erdely
Looking forward to trying the Cariblanco. Not a huge fan of whites or Sauvignon Blancs.

QOTD: Country of my favorite SB? Not sure I’m qualified to answer. I guess I’d have to say US (Cali) since that’s probably the limit of my experience. But, I’m hoping to expand that.
about 11 months ago

vivaitalia
I’ve been drinking absolutely nothing but reds for two years straight but WLTV has got me on a white kick lately. In the last two weeks I’ve been buying tons of white wines, each one a different grape and a different region and i’ve been stunned by how much i’ve learned and how much I’ve loved them. Thanks for expanding my horizons.
about 11 months ago

TSchampaert
Hi Gary, funny you did an episode about smth we just did. For www.ikwilwijn.be, we had a tasting of for about 13 SB’s I think (all bottles wine merchants sent us), also because of that ’summer’-stuff. Well, it was kind of a disappointment. I’m crazy about SB, so maybe it was also my expectation that did the trick (yet, the others thought the same way), but there were only two or three nice wines. The rest was bland, uninvolving and even ‘cheapish’. Especially both Gravitas were quite a downer (tasted all blind, so when the alu-foil got off …). Both were very closed or ‘not much’ on the nose, unbalanced, no aftertaste, lacking complexity, … . Tsk, just so depressing … .
There were two nice one’s however: Mount Vermon (an NZ) and Balland Chapuis Pouilly Fumé. The former one was very bright, zesty, more fuity than the typical pyrazine thing (in fact there was no “cat pee on a gooseberry bush”-one in the whole series), the latter was more vegetable like: asparagus (@vivaitalia: that’s your ‘urine smell’), green pepper, then some canteloupe rind and some pear. Nice with a little reductive touch adding some complexity. The Cotat Sancerre Monts Damnées 2005 we opened at the end made good for a lot of these plonky wines.
QOTD: Certainly Villard Sauvignon Blanc from Chili. Perfectly zesty, lime flavours, pear and honeydew, very bright, great acidity, good sructure, coolish in terroir. Just amazing. Favourite wine when I have some pike or something like that (@vivaitalia: here is your rec, no pee at all!).
C ya!

t.
about 11 months ago

vivaitalia
I just can’t get over the urine smell I get in all of the sauvignon blancs from NZ that i’ve tried. The palate is stellar, but I just can’t shake the scent. Perhaps someone could tell me a wine I won’t have that problem with?
about 11 months ago

Martijn
QOTD: I would have to say New Zealand for the very same reason you like them, consistent and the QPR is very good. With that said, I have not tried SB from a lot of other regions. I am still looking for a good SB from CA because I do believe in this day and age we should try to find products closer to home. I live in the Monterey area and have heard SB does nicely here because of the cooler coastal foggy climate . A little hesitant to put out $20 to try an unknown local SB though.
about 11 months ago

sharon
I cook with Savignon Blanc. It’s not my cup of tea.
about 11 months ago

Kelly
QOTD:

I personally enjoi the NZSB’s out of all those I have tried. I found that many other countries SB’s deliver on certain levels but are not all around good or great wines. Some have a great nose, other’s a palate, but NZ seems to be bringing the heat on all counts with most of their wines and for the price they’re unbeatable.
about 11 months ago

SoCal
Still catching up G,
QOTD: France
about 11 months ago

Pantheras
I certainly agree with you about the Sterling SB but lets not
castigate all California SBs. Try the Chateau Souverain SB.
The worst example is not Sterling but rather Chalk Hill
which has been manipulated beyond taste. New Zealand is the
place for SB now but there are a few good Kal i fornia SBs
about 11 months ago

damon
country for SB. I am liking the really crisp ones from Chile at the momment. I like em simple and crisp, cause its hot in southwest ohio in the summer.
about 11 months ago

C-BusWineMofo
QOTD - Its a tie between France and New Zealand, I like them both for different reasons and I will never mistake one for the other.
about 11 months ago

Lar Veale
Gary,

I don’t want to be known as “Lar the Lurker” and I lovvvvve free stuff. Anyhoo, interesting that you did a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

I’m committing the month of June to whites which I previously viewed as a little bit girly and thought that could have been a little bit of a poor attitude on my part.

I tried “The Crossings Estate” Sauv. Blanc from Marlborough, NZ during the week and really enjoyed it. Instead of rotting passion fruit, very fresh ripe passion fruit.

I put notes up on Cork’d

Staying with that side of the world, Tasmania (the island state south of Melbourne) is producing some great cool climate wines. I recommed the Lalla Gully Riesling. Mmmmm.

So, I’m committing to whites and to commenting for the month of June! Enjoy SF and Greece.
about 11 months ago

YoungDave
Gotta love the cat pee… I mean Sauv. Blanc

QOTD: Well, I know this is a sin, but I have yet to try Sancerre- I know I know, but I’ve had trouble finding one within my humble price range. HOWEVER, I have had a few good Sauv, Blancs from France from other reagions that have been really well balanced, grassy, and extremely clean. But I have to say that I have had my favorite Sauv. Blancs from New zealand, even if they are a bit oover the top with Grapefruit for DAYS on the nose and palate- I gotta give it to New Zealand for the EXPLOSION on the nose that I have yet to find within France (the jury will remain out until I buy a bottle from Sancerre!!)
about 11 months ago

Brian
I’ve never tried Chilean SB, so can’t respond to that one. I loved one New Zealand wine opened this month-Giesen-which was explosive aqnd fruity and grapefruity. Definitely outstanding. I also liked a Sancerre-Apicud??? which was completely the opposite-very lean and austere and reticent. Complketely different style, and I can’t say one is “better.

I can’t dismiss California, my home, so easily. Sterling basically makes plonk, almost across the board. It’s not very representative. I actually enjoy Mason Cellars (especially the $$$$ Reserve). There are some small producers probably only easily available out here-Farella-Park, Elizabeth Spencer, Matanzas Creek. The best seem to be more austere than NZ yet fruitier than Sancerre.
about 11 months ago

ChadD
QOTD: Loire with food and NZ by itself. Hey the third wine was even clearer than the second-looked just like water! I did enjoy the 04 Kenwood SB that I bought because of all the press it got in WS. I tried the 05 recently and it was VERY underwhelming. I’m starting to see what you mean about Cali SB.