Wine Review - Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc Battle Royal: Two Wines Enter One Wine Leaves....
We were recently provided with two New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs; the 2011 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (KC) from Marlborough ($23 locally) and the 2010 The People's Sauvignon Blanc (TP) also from the Marlborough region ($19 locally).
We decided to do a comparison tasting with some typically Kiwi foods. Fresh Oysters, Asian Broiled Salmon, and Pan Sauteed Lamb with a Green Salad and a Dijon Vinaigrette. Two wines, the same grape, different vintages but the same region. We wanted to see how these two stacked up against one another. Rather than our typical rating (which we will provide in a shortened version) we wanted to focus on attributes and food pairing.
First off the wines are so very different when it comes to food pairings it is amazing. So, we will break it down by pairing. Let's start with the fresh Oysters (with lemon and hot sauce):
KC - this wine has a lot of tropical fruit notes that really compliments and cuts through the brininess and the acidity of the oysters plus it is more round and fuller for the richness. It enhances the flavour of the oyster.
TP - there is more higher acidity and minerality in the wine that carries through with the elements in the oysters. Too many of the same notes.
The KC was such a contrast to the flavours of the oysters it was amazing whereas the TP tasted just like you were having an oyster. Good....but not as memorable as the contrast of the KC.
Clear winner: Kim Crawford
For the Asian Salmon, which had a Soya and Hoisin Glaze, the wines again had a different challenge of standing up to a fattier fish.
KC - the fruitiness of the wine is again a nice compliment to the fat and sugars in the fish. Quite a nice pairing.
TP - the acidity now had an advantage because the contrast of the flavours and acidity worked extremely well with the salmon.
The flavours were close and really it came down to how the wine finished once you ate the fish and tasted the wine.
Close Winner: Kim Crawford
The lamb was a bit more a challenge as it would normally be a red wine (i.e. Pinot Noir) preferred match. Our preparation of the lamb was a quick marinade in the same Dijon Vinaigrette and then into a hot pan. Once we tried it with two white wines, the results were quite interesting.
KC - the fruitiness of the wine now became a hindrance as the sweetness clashed with the fattiness of the lamb and the taste became muddled. Not a good match.
TP - conversely to the KC, the crisp acidity of this wine cut right through the lamb's fatty nature and made for an awesome pairing. This one was a no brainer.
Clear Winner: The People's Sauv Blanc
Sight:
KC has a slightly more golden colour but is still a very pale yellow in the glass. (4.0)
TP is a little more green (almost Vinho Verde) in the glass and looks like a crisper wine, which it is. (4.25)
Viscosity of the KC is a little bit greater than the TP wine even though the KC is 13.0% and the TP is 13.5% according to the labels.
Smell:
KC is very tropical on the nose with heavy passion fruit dominance and layers of mango and starfruit in there....delicious. (4.25)
TP is a lot more mineral on the nose with a layer of tropical fruit and citrus sliding in underneath that. It's like smelling beach rocks that someone poured mango nectar and lemonade on. However, as it was tasted with the oysters the brininess in the nose that totally complimented the oysters, did not have the same impact when you ate the oysters....super interesting. (4.25)
Taste:
KC is a very fruity wine on palate with a nice cut of acidity on the finish. It starts fruity and that continues to a crescendo on the mid-palate and finishes with a slow acidic burn. This would be a fantastic patio wine for a hot day. It is really a nice tasting wine. (8.5)
TP has all the attributes of a wine that we would drink without food. Great with food, but so darn delicious on its own that it tastes so nice. The crisp acidity is virtually perfect on its own but has a complexity that makes for a great tasting experience. There is some tropical fruit but there is a savory character that we really, really enjoy. Call it herbaceous or briny but it is a fabulous flavour profile....truly great. (8.75)
Dollar for dollar these wines are very close in quality and come with the following scores, you can see they were close but very different:
KC = 16.75 / 20 (83.75%)
TP = 17.25 / 20 (86.25%)
Surprise, Surprise.....a very close call. These two wines certainly deserve high marks as they are great tasting wines that have a lot going for them. We certainly lean towards the The People's as a winner as it just has that slightly more defined character for drinking the wine on its own. Plus, at $3 less per bottle it just makes a slightly higher value wine. These are both winners in our books and to be quite honest, New Zealand Sauv Blanc is worming its way into our hearts as a new favorite white wine region. It might be time to try some French versions to compare and contrast.
This tasting was super fun and we highly recommend these two wines.....The People's Sauv Blanc getting the nod. Try them both, you will like them.
We decided to do a comparison tasting with some typically Kiwi foods. Fresh Oysters, Asian Broiled Salmon, and Pan Sauteed Lamb with a Green Salad and a Dijon Vinaigrette. Two wines, the same grape, different vintages but the same region. We wanted to see how these two stacked up against one another. Rather than our typical rating (which we will provide in a shortened version) we wanted to focus on attributes and food pairing.
First off the wines are so very different when it comes to food pairings it is amazing. So, we will break it down by pairing. Let's start with the fresh Oysters (with lemon and hot sauce):
KC - this wine has a lot of tropical fruit notes that really compliments and cuts through the brininess and the acidity of the oysters plus it is more round and fuller for the richness. It enhances the flavour of the oyster.
TP - there is more higher acidity and minerality in the wine that carries through with the elements in the oysters. Too many of the same notes.
Clear winner: Kim Crawford
For the Asian Salmon, which had a Soya and Hoisin Glaze, the wines again had a different challenge of standing up to a fattier fish.
KC - the fruitiness of the wine is again a nice compliment to the fat and sugars in the fish. Quite a nice pairing.
TP - the acidity now had an advantage because the contrast of the flavours and acidity worked extremely well with the salmon.
The flavours were close and really it came down to how the wine finished once you ate the fish and tasted the wine.
Close Winner: Kim Crawford
The lamb was a bit more a challenge as it would normally be a red wine (i.e. Pinot Noir) preferred match. Our preparation of the lamb was a quick marinade in the same Dijon Vinaigrette and then into a hot pan. Once we tried it with two white wines, the results were quite interesting.
KC - the fruitiness of the wine now became a hindrance as the sweetness clashed with the fattiness of the lamb and the taste became muddled. Not a good match.
TP - conversely to the KC, the crisp acidity of this wine cut right through the lamb's fatty nature and made for an awesome pairing. This one was a no brainer.
Clear Winner: The People's Sauv Blanc
Sight:
KC has a slightly more golden colour but is still a very pale yellow in the glass. (4.0)
TP is a little more green (almost Vinho Verde) in the glass and looks like a crisper wine, which it is. (4.25)
Viscosity of the KC is a little bit greater than the TP wine even though the KC is 13.0% and the TP is 13.5% according to the labels.
Smell:
KC is very tropical on the nose with heavy passion fruit dominance and layers of mango and starfruit in there....delicious. (4.25)
TP is a lot more mineral on the nose with a layer of tropical fruit and citrus sliding in underneath that. It's like smelling beach rocks that someone poured mango nectar and lemonade on. However, as it was tasted with the oysters the brininess in the nose that totally complimented the oysters, did not have the same impact when you ate the oysters....super interesting. (4.25)
Taste:
KC is a very fruity wine on palate with a nice cut of acidity on the finish. It starts fruity and that continues to a crescendo on the mid-palate and finishes with a slow acidic burn. This would be a fantastic patio wine for a hot day. It is really a nice tasting wine. (8.5)
TP has all the attributes of a wine that we would drink without food. Great with food, but so darn delicious on its own that it tastes so nice. The crisp acidity is virtually perfect on its own but has a complexity that makes for a great tasting experience. There is some tropical fruit but there is a savory character that we really, really enjoy. Call it herbaceous or briny but it is a fabulous flavour profile....truly great. (8.75)
Dollar for dollar these wines are very close in quality and come with the following scores, you can see they were close but very different:
KC = 16.75 / 20 (83.75%)
TP = 17.25 / 20 (86.25%)
Surprise, Surprise.....a very close call. These two wines certainly deserve high marks as they are great tasting wines that have a lot going for them. We certainly lean towards the The People's as a winner as it just has that slightly more defined character for drinking the wine on its own. Plus, at $3 less per bottle it just makes a slightly higher value wine. These are both winners in our books and to be quite honest, New Zealand Sauv Blanc is worming its way into our hearts as a new favorite white wine region. It might be time to try some French versions to compare and contrast.
This tasting was super fun and we highly recommend these two wines.....The People's Sauv Blanc getting the nod. Try them both, you will like them.
Keep on tasting!
Chris & Shannon
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