Wine Review - 2009 Hill & Dale Sauvignon Blanc: It Sure Don't Look Like Sauv Blanc

We poured this wine in the glass and it looks a heck of a lot darker than most Sauv Blancs we have tasted. It almost has the Oaked Aussie Chardonnay colour. But once we tasted it we could not really pick out an overtly vanilla or oak sensibility on the nose or the palate. So, it just looks darker than most. This wine is another from the Hill & Dale Winery in South Africa.  We have been fans of their Cab/Shiraz so we figured we give this one a try too, especially at $13 locally.

The visuals on the wine are definitely atypical of the Sauv Blanc we have tried from NZ or the USA.  This has a depth of colour that we just don't see.  It looks good mind you just not the light Sauv Blanc tones we would expect.

On the nose we get Citrus but we also get a load of Cilantro and Green Pepper.  They mention grass on the label and we can see that but it certainly has a bit more of the vegetal notes.  It is a fairly nice smelling wine if you like the greeness.

On the palate the wine is typical Sauv Blanc with some tropical fruit like kiwi but it is still green and grassy.  Not flinty but has a tinge of minerality in it as well.  The grassiness stands out the most and puts everything else on the back burner.

It has a pretty good balance of acid and fruit though the finish is a little more tart than we might like, though not bad at all.  At $13 this is a nice summer wine that matches the 25C we hit here in Nova Scotia today.  More days like this to come!

	Tasting Notes:	Score:
Sight (0-5)	Dark for Sauv Blanc, but clear with Straw colours	4.0
Smell (0-5)	Grassy nose with tropical fruit in it.	4.0
Taste (0-10)	Grass and kiwi carry through.  Very attractive flavours and a good amount of tartness.  Nice summer wine.	8.0
	Total:	16.0 / 20  (80.0%)

Overall, this is a tasty white wine and definitely a buy at $13.  If you can find it cheaper than that in the US, just buy more.

Keep on drinking!

Chris & Shannon