Wine Review - 2011 Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc: Slightly Sweet Sauv Blanc...Say WHAT?
We were provided this wine from Monkey Bay Wines and very quickly we decided that we could not review it paired with the same thing as the 2004 we tried when we lived in US which was Papa John's Pizza. A match made in heaven....we think not. This time around it was with a Salad Niçoise and went much more smoothly.
The first thing, we noted is that this wine has a lot more character than the last time we tried it. In 2004, we thought it was a refreshing, crisp, light, and citrusy wine. But, when paired with Papa John's we were not overly high on it. Surprise, surprise.
This time around we took a look at the colour and we were close with our opinion of the 2004, clear, pale, soft vanilla tones (think off-white), kind of a light gingerale colour. 2011 is right in the same ballpark. The colour is a little on the dark side (golden) when compared to the Kim Crawford version. Either way, we had the right idea back in '04.
The smell is pure Kiwi Sauv Blanc. Mango, Papaya, Starfruit, etc still ring true. In 2004 it was clean and pleasant kiwi fruit nose but now we would say the 2011 has a more full bodied nose for Sauv Blanc with a lot more ripeness to it. There is a fruit undercurrent that lends a sweetness to the nose, which brings us to the taste.....
In 2004, we tasted it as a refreshing crisp, light and again citrusy wine. However back then, to put it into context, we were drinking red wine like they were gonna stop producing it, so a grain of salt is required. The 2011 version has a lot of the green characteristics we mentioned but there is a level of fruit that boosts the flavour profile from crisp and clean to more fruity even leaning towards off-dry. We really like this wine but comparatively speaking the crisp acidity of a wine like Kim Crawford makes that a slightly better tasting experience. This is still a nice warm weather/raw oysters wine.
At $17 locally, this comes in slightly below the typical $18 to $20 range for Kiwi Sauv Blanc. Overall, this is a good Sauv Blanc but the almost off-dry nature throws us a bit. A crisper version we think would stand out a bit more. That said, we know nothing of the vintage and 2011 could have been a hotter vintage with a late harvest...not sure. Either way, still a good wine.
Keep on tasting!
Chris & Shannon
The first thing, we noted is that this wine has a lot more character than the last time we tried it. In 2004, we thought it was a refreshing, crisp, light, and citrusy wine. But, when paired with Papa John's we were not overly high on it. Surprise, surprise.
This time around we took a look at the colour and we were close with our opinion of the 2004, clear, pale, soft vanilla tones (think off-white), kind of a light gingerale colour. 2011 is right in the same ballpark. The colour is a little on the dark side (golden) when compared to the Kim Crawford version. Either way, we had the right idea back in '04.
The smell is pure Kiwi Sauv Blanc. Mango, Papaya, Starfruit, etc still ring true. In 2004 it was clean and pleasant kiwi fruit nose but now we would say the 2011 has a more full bodied nose for Sauv Blanc with a lot more ripeness to it. There is a fruit undercurrent that lends a sweetness to the nose, which brings us to the taste.....
In 2004, we tasted it as a refreshing crisp, light and again citrusy wine. However back then, to put it into context, we were drinking red wine like they were gonna stop producing it, so a grain of salt is required. The 2011 version has a lot of the green characteristics we mentioned but there is a level of fruit that boosts the flavour profile from crisp and clean to more fruity even leaning towards off-dry. We really like this wine but comparatively speaking the crisp acidity of a wine like Kim Crawford makes that a slightly better tasting experience. This is still a nice warm weather/raw oysters wine.
| Tasting Notes: | Score: | |
| Sight (0-5) | Clear and slightly golden wine....maybe lemony with a little on the green side but not exactly. Still looks good. | 4.0 |
| Smell (0-5) | Very tropical nose with Mango, Papaya, and Starfruit. Not a lot of greenness as the wine makers mentioned. Not as grassy as we would have expected. | 3.75 |
| Taste (0-10) | Slightly fruitiness with a balance of fruit, sugar, and acid is a nice tasting wine. Shannon really likes it and Chris finds it a touch sweet for Sauv Blanc. It has the right price point. | 8.0 |
| Total: | 15.75 / 20 (78.75%) |
At $17 locally, this comes in slightly below the typical $18 to $20 range for Kiwi Sauv Blanc. Overall, this is a good Sauv Blanc but the almost off-dry nature throws us a bit. A crisper version we think would stand out a bit more. That said, we know nothing of the vintage and 2011 could have been a hotter vintage with a late harvest...not sure. Either way, still a good wine.
Keep on tasting!
Chris & Shannon
Nice Blog, thanks for this useful Article. Really great topic to write about on my blog. I might set a link from another site.Very helpful advice on this article! It is the little changes that make the biggest changes .
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