I will admit here to being somewhat bored with Sauvignon Blanc. Well, at least with most new world Sauvignon Blanc and those produced in Europe in the new world style.
I used to love those intense up-front aromas of gooseberries and passion fruit so typical of Sav Blancs from the southern hemisphere, a style that has been replicated with quite some success here in Portugal and elsewhere in southern Europe.
But our tastes change and today the only Sauvignon Blanc I usually look for is the real thing from France. Give me a good bottle of Pouilly-Fume and I am a very happy man. And so it was that I was pleased to discover this wine made in northern Portugal, close to Viseu.
With its grassy and citric notes on the nose, the style is much more old world than new. In the mouth there is great freshness and clean acidity. In fact, there is very little going on to give this wine away as a Sauvignon Blanc. Instead this is a fine and elegant white wine, well suited to serve as an aperitif and ideal with summer dishes like grilled fish and salads.
A quirky design aspect of the label is the thermal ink used for the green chameleon that turns blue once the wine is refrigerated and ready for drinking below 11ºC. €10.95 at Apolónia.
By PATRICK STUART [email protected]
