Sauvignon Blanc: Green, Mean and Otherwise

Poor Sauvignon Blanc. Is there a more misunderstood grape? It’s maligned by some because it often produces wines with intense grassy aromas and grapefruit-like acidity. Others speak ill of the richer versions of Sauvignon Blanc just because they’re not green and mean.

But I like Sauvignon Blanc because it’s so versatile. It makes very enjoyable wine in a number of styles, many of which are affordable.

Here are notes on California Sauvignon Blancs representing a variety of approaches. One wine, Selene 2000, transcends the usual cubbyholes to which people consign this variety, and captures depth, varietal character, richness and balance in a near-perfect package.

* 1999 Beringer Vineyards “Alluvium Blanc,” Knights Valley, $15. This wine, blended with 12% Semillon and 10% Chardonnay and then oak-aged, is clearly a member of the richer-is-better camp. I like its pear and lemon blossom fruit, its sweet oakiness and its full, balanced feel on the palate. It nearly deserves two stars and needs just a bit more brightness to get there.

* 2000 Bernardus Winery, Monterey, $14. With its strong grass and mineral flavors, this is not a wine for all palates, but it’s sure to please those who like their Sauvignon Blanc to be steely, brisk and unmistakably green in character. It shows a bit of oaky richness without conceding an inch of its chosen style.

$* 2000 Buttonwood, Santa Ynez Valley, $10. Without landing squarely in any of the varietal camps, this pleasing wine picks up enough vitality, grass and oak to make itself perfectly drinkable in a quiet, comfortable manner. Melon fruit mixes comfortably with greens and hints of anise. It would be hard to find a nicer wine at its inviting price.

* 2000 Cain Musque, Monterey, $21. Musque is a clone of Sauvignon Blanc that typically delivers more floral, almost Muscat-like tones, but in this vintage the clone has proven to be less in control, and the grassy, pineapple-like elements of Sauvignon Blanc have taken over. This is not a wine for the faint of heart, but it will appeal to those whose love of greens and acidity in Sauvignon Blanc can only be sated with strong potions.

$** 1999 Grgich Hills Cellar Fume Blanc, Napa Valley, $16. Try finding a two-star wine in almost any other variety and you’ll probably be frustrated, yet here is a beauty of a wine at a steal of a price. It’s made in a firm, crisp, steely style with plenty of acidity lifting and brightening its Crenshaw melon and Meyer lemon qualities, and its smoky, oaky nuances add touches of complexity without impinging on the wine’s bracing direction. Don’t look for much in the way of grassiness here.

** 2000 Iron Horse “T bar T, Cuvee R,” Alexander Valley, $20. The addition of 16% Viognier clearly shows in the sweet and floral aspects of this engaging wine’s perfumed aromas. The flavor is underpinned by lots of melon fruit and sports a streak of varietal grassiness. This wine is fairly full-bodied and follows through well on the palate. Sauvignon Blanc might not be a wine that people put in their cellars to age, but this one has both the depth and the youthful edginess that suggest improvement over the next year or two.

$* Joullian, Carmel Valley, $13. Once again a wine you’d expect to have greater range, considering the 24% Semillon in its makeup, that is totally dominated by the grassy quality of Sauvignon Blanc. It’s brisk and firm on the palate, with more support from fruit for its flavors of minerals and grasses than its acidy angularity might suggest. Decidedly not a wine for casual sipping, it can comfortably be paired with tangy seafood dishes.

$* 2000 Kenwood Vineyards, Sonoma County, $10. Kenwood’s regular Sauvignon Blanc gets my vote for the most consistent moderately priced Sauvignon. This new vintage is clean and fruity with a distinctly grassy character, and it has a lively, bright feel on the palate.

$** 1999 Quivira “Fig Tree Vineyard,” Dry Creek Valley, $14. Yet another wonderful value in Sauvignon Blanc. This wine makes a clear varietal statement of greens and grasses yet hews as closely to richness, ripeness and oak as it does to the leaner side of the varietal spectrum. It has a fine fleshy feel and good body, but still allows for plenty of snap and brightness throughout.

*** 2000 Selene “Hyde Vineyard,” Carneros, $22. Boasting a lovely mix of ripe melons, piquant citrus, a bit of grass and a fine veneer of creamy oak, this keenly honed wine edges up very close to varietal perfection. Intense but nowhere near overbearing, it’s remarkably well focused, bright and beautifully balanced, and it shows a rare sense of seamless proportion from start to finish. It earns my most enthusiastic endorsement as the quintessential Sauvignon Blanc.

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***A world-class wine, superb by any measure, the top 1% to 2% of all wines tasted.

**An exceptional wine, well worth the effort to find, 10% to 12% of wines tasted.

*An admirable wine, tasty, focused, attractive, about 25% of wines tasted.

No Rating: The best are quite pleasant and can be good buys when moderately priced.

$Good value for the money.

Below average quality, to be avoided.

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This column is based on tastings conducted by Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wine, a monthly newsletter devoted to the critical review of California and West coast wines. Readers of The Times may obtain a sample copy by sending their name and address to: CGCW, P.O. Box V, Alameda, CA 94501, by calling or faxing (510) 865-3150 or by e-mailing CGCW@aol.com.