Sauvignon Blanc Archives - It Must Be Wine O'clock

Here are a few choice wines to enjoy this Christmas season!

Merry Christmas!

Delightful white wines

Lyrarakis Assyrtiko 2022 (Crete)

This Assyrtiko wine from Crete is a dry wine with a crisp, refreshing acidity. It has pronounced aromas of honey, together with apple and peach, on the nose, and flavours of apple, pear and peach on the palate.

It is a well-balanced, medium-bodied wine with a long finish that can be enjoyed as an apéritif and is also an excellent match for a seafood dish.

Available from Majestic (£12.99, Mix Six £10.99)

Grove Mill, Wairau Valley, Marlborough 2021 (New Zealand)

This aromatic Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is a real treat.

Pronounced aromas of elderflower, peach, lychee and guava on the nose herald flavours of lime, nectarine and passion fruit on the palate. The layers of fruit are well supported by the bright acidity and lasting finish, and a hint of minerality adds a further level.

A delightful wine offering great value for money.

Available from Co-op (£10.50)

Chapel Down Bacchus 2022 (Kent)

This Bacchus wine from Chapel Down vineyard in Kent, one of England’s leading wine producers, is an excellent example of what this grape variety is capable of.

An aromatic wine with notes of melon and citrus on the nose, and flavours of apple, melon and grapefruit on the palate, this is a crisp, refreshing and well-balanced wine with a long finish.

Enjoy by itself or with seafood or salad. It also pairs well with Wensleydale cheese.

Available from Grape Britannia (£16.99)

Cracking red wines

Les Hauts de Saint Martin, Saint Chinian 2021 (France)

This Saint-Chinian wine from vineyards located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France is a smooth, rich, full-bodied wine. A blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre grapes, this is a dry wine with medium acidity, medium tannins and a lengthy finish.

With bramble, plum and cherry on the nose, and an array of red and black fruits, and a hint of spice on the palate, this is a very appealing wine that pairs well with a roast meat dish, or roasted vegetables.

Available from Co-op (£10)

Yalumba Y Series Tempranillo 2020/21 (South Australia)

This Tempranillo wine from South Australia adds a little Antipodean twist to this grape variety generally associated with Rioja. Produced by Yalumba winery, one of Australia’s oldest wineries, this is a deliciously smooth wine which can be enjoyed by itself, and goes really well with duck or lamb.

With aromas of cranberry, cherry and bramble on the nose, and flavours of blackberry and plum, with a hint of chocolate and spice, on the palate, this is a balanced wine with a long finish.

Available from Majestic (£10.99, Mix Six £8.49)

White Castle Regent 2021 (Wales)

This wonderfully expressive wine from White Castle Vineyard in Wales is an outstanding red wine. Made from Regent grapes, it is a well-balanced wine that’s an ideal match for the complex blend of flavours associated with a traditional Christmas lunch.

With aromas of cherry, blackberry and a touch of smokiness on the nose, and ripe fruit flavours of blackcurrant and plum on the palate, this is a wine with depth and complexity.

Available from Grape Britannia (£27.99)

Indulgent dessert wines

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pedro Ximénez (Spain)

This Pedro Ximénez (PX) from Sainsbury’s is a full-bodied, lusciously sweet wine with a long, velvety finish. With aromas of honey, raisin and toffee, reminiscent of a mince pie, on the nose, and coffee, caramel and toffee flavours on the palate, this is a perfect match for Christmas pudding or other rich dessert, and mature cheese.

Available from Sainsbury’s (£9)

Keo St John’s Commandaria (Cyprus)

This luscious Cypriot dessert wine has a history dating back to the Crusades and is an outstanding dessert wine. With aromas of dried fruit and spices, and flavours of caramel, honey and nuts, Commandaria can be enjoyed by itself, or with cheese or desserts. It is a particularly good match for a rich, creamy dessert.

Available from Aspris & Son (www.aspris.co.uk) (£11.79, 50cl.)

Merry Christmas!

Look out for more wine suggestions from around the world in 2024.

Cheers!

Here are a few choice wines for you enjoy this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas!

Apéritifs

Grüner Veltliner, Von den Terrassen, Winzer Krems, Niederösterreich 2020 (Austria)

This Grüner Veltliner from Lower Austria is a perfect apéritif.

It is a fresh, elegant wine with pronounced aromas of blossom, apple and peach, and a touch of white pepper on the nose, leading to a delicious burst of apple, lemon, peach and nectarine on the palate. A tinge of effervescence adds a little sparkle to the mix and the mineral notes and refreshing acidity make for a very well-balanced wine. This is a dry wine with a lengthy finish which will get your Christmas lunch off to a fine start!

Available from Majestic (£10.99, Mix Six £8.99)

Grove Mill, Wairau Valley, Marlborough 2021 (New Zealand)

This aromatic Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is a real treat. Pronounced aromas of elderflower, peach, lychee and guava on the nose herald flavours of lime, nectarine and passion fruit on the palate. The layers of fruit are well supported by the bright acidity and lasting finish, and a hint of minerality adds a further level. A delightful wine offering great value for money.

Available from Co-op (£9.50)

White wines

Paco & Lola Albariño 2021 (Spain)

Year after year, Paco & Lola come up trumps with their Albariño to create award-winning wines.

This is a fresh, crisp wine, high in acidity, with aromas of blossom, lemon and apple on the nose, and flavours of apple, peach and nectarine on the palate. It is a well-balanced, medium-bodied wine with a lengthy finish, which matches perfectly with white meat and fish dishes.

Available from Tesco, Sainsbury’s (£12- £14)

Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc 2021 Awatere Valley (New Zealand)

This elegant Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough’s smaller, cooler Awatere Valley is an ideal wine to go with seafood or white meat. An aromatic wine with notes of citrus and peach on the nose leading to stone fruit flavours and a refreshing minerality on the palate, it has a lively acidity, a creamy mouthfeel and a long finish.

Available from Co-op (£11)

Hazel End Vineyard Bacchus Dry 2014 (Hertfordshire)

This 2014 Bacchus Dry from Hazel End Vineyard in Hertfordshire is a real delight. With aromas of grapefruit, elderflower, lime and a touch of petrol on the nose, leading to a burst of lime and peach on the palate, this older Bacchus has a hint of Riesling about it. It is a smooth, refined wine with good acidity and a long finish, and goes well with a seafood or chicken dish.

Available from Grape Britannia (£14.99)

Red wines

Somborne Estate Reserve Red 2014 (Hampshire)

This delightful red wine made from Rondo grapes grown in Hampshire is an ideal match for the complex blend of flavours associated with a traditional Christmas lunch. Deep ruby in colour, this is a rich, smooth, medium-bodied, well-balanced wine. With blackberry, plum and black cherry aromas, and notes of cinnamon and vanilla, on the nose, and rich black fruit flavours with savoury notes on the palate, it’s a wine with depth and complexity.

Available from Grape Brita nnia (£15.99)

Georges Duboeuf Fleurie, Beaujolais 2020 (France)

This is a Beaujolais from one of the region’s most experienced winemakers, Georges Duboeuf, and it is a very good wine. It has pronounced aromas of raspberry and strawberry, together with hints of cream and blossom on the nose, and intense red fruit flavours on the palate. A light, refreshing medium-bodied wine, with medium acidity and a long finish, it will go particularly well with cold meats, duck or a plant-based dish.

Available from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Majestic (£11-£13)

Château Caronne Ste.Gemme Haut-Médoc, 2016

This is a well-balanced Bordeaux red from the Left Bank. A Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend, it has bramble, cooked fruit and blackberry aromas on the nose, together with hints of vanilla and spice, and black fruit flavours and a touch of earthiness on the palate. A full-bodied wine which will go well with roast meat or roasted vegetable dishes.

Available from Majestic (£16.99, £14.99 Mix Six)

Dessert wines

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pedro Ximénez (Spain)

Christmas is a time for indulgence. And this is pure indulgence! This Pedro Ximénez (PX) from Sainsbury’s is a full-bodied, lusciously sweet wine with sufficient acidity to balance the sweetness and create a long, velvety finish. With aromas of honey, raisin and toffee, reminiscent of a mince pie, on the nose, and coffee, caramel and toffee flavours on the palate, this is almost a dessert in its own right.

A perfect match for Christmas pudding or other rich dessert, and mature cheese, it can also simply be drizzled over vanilla ice cream for another-worldly experience!

Available from Sainsbury’s (£8)

Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat (Australia)

The lusciously sweet Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat is another treat. Made from a blend of vintages of Muscat à petit grains rouges (Rutherglen Brown Muscat), it has flavours of fruitcake, dates and nuts, and is a smooth, wonderfully balanced wine. It is a perfect match for cheese or dessert.

Available from Waitrose (£10.49)

Merry Christmas!

Look out for more wine suggestions from around the world in 2023.

Cheers!

An elegant, refreshing Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from the Awatere Valley

Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Awatere Valley (New Zealand)

If you enjoyed the Grove Mill Sauvignon Blanc 2021 I recently reviewed, you might like to try this Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc 2021. Although part of Foley Wines, the same group as Grove Mill, the Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc comes from the Awatere Valley in Marlborough, a smaller, cooler, windier and drier valley than the region’s main winegrowing valley, Wairau Valley.

The Sauvignon Blanc wines from the Awatere Valley tend to have higher acidity, with more herbaceous characteristics, and lack the tropical fruit flavours which are often found in wines from the Wairau Valley.

This Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc 2021 is an elegant, refreshing wine with notes of citrus and peach on the nose leading to stone fruit flavours and a pleasant minerality on the palate. It is a wine with a lively acidity, a creamy mouthfeel and a long finish, which is perfect as an aperitif, or with a seafood or white meat dish. It also goes well with goat cheese.

Available from Co-op (£11)

Wine of the Month – a top-quality Sauvignon Blanc 2021 from New Zealand offering excellent value for money

Grove Mill, Wairau Valley, Marlborough 2021

This elegant, aromatic Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is a real treat. Grove Mills produce their wines from grapes grown in the vineyards surrounding their winery in the Wairau Valley with a keen awareness of environmental considerations, and this is a refined wine, with lots of depth and personality.

A delightful wine offering great value for money. Perfect by itself or with a seafood or chicken dish.

Available from Co-op (£9.50)

A deliciously fresh organic Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand

Villa Maria EarthGarden Sauvignon Blanc 2020 (Marlborough)

Founded in 1962, Villa Maria is now New Zealand’s most-awarded winery. It has always been at the forefront of innovation and has been a pioneer of organic vineyard management for over 20 years. The EarthGarden range is Villa Maria’s first range of wines that are 100% organically grown and this Sauvignon Blanc from the winery’s Marlborough vineyards is deliciously fresh.

Full of life, with aromas of apple, lime and pear, and flavours of lemon, peach and passionfruit, this is a well-balanced wine with refreshing acidity and a lengthy finish.

Perfect by itself on a warm summer’s day, this will also pair very well with seafood, chicken or plant-based dishes, and is a wine that offers very good value for money.

Available from Tesco (£10.50)

A crisp, refreshing wine from Southwest France

The huge diversity of grape varieties and wine styles in Southwest France makes it an interesting wine region to explore. Tucked away between the Pyrénées and the Massif Central, with Bordeaux to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, it enjoys a warm, sunny climate with short, mild winters.

Here, you will find, for example, the ‘black wines’ of Cahors, the Gaillac blends of local grape varieties, the deep-coloured reds of Madiran, and the sweet and dry wines of Jurançon. You will also find the Côtes de Gascogne IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) wines. The IGP designation provides growers with a geographical indication for their wines but with less-rigid winemaking requirements than those required for the Appellation d’origine controllé designation.

These are predominantly white wines, produced from local grape varieties such as Gros Manseng, Colombard and Arrufiac, and often blended with Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The Plaimont Côtes de Gascogne Colombard Sauvignon Blanc 2020 is a very good example.

A crisp, refreshing wine with pleasantly perfumed aromas, this is a classic Gascony blend of Colombard and Sauvignon Blanc. Pale lemon in colour, it has apple, honeysuckle and pineapple on the nose, and lemon, lime, melon and peach on the palate. With medium acidity and a lengthy finish, it is a well-balanced wine offering very good value for money.

You can enjoy this as an aperitif, or pair it with fish, or goat’s cheese.

Available from Sainsbury’s (£8)

If you like a Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc, why not try a Menetou-Salon wine?

Domaine Olivier Foucher Menetou-Salon 2019/20, Loire

Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc has been a firm favourite of mine since I first tried it sur place as a student many years ago. The refreshing acidity, the aromas of gooseberry, citrus and grass, and the flavours of apple and citrus fruits, with a hint of minerality, tick all the boxes for me.

Just a short distance away to the south-west of Sancerre is the small appellation of Menetou-Salon. Though not as well-known as its neighbour, Menetou-Salon is rapidly establishing a reputation for crisp, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc wines that offer very good value for money.

This wine from Domaine Olivier Foucher, a small 12-hectare estate in Morogues, is a very good example of a quality Menetou-Salon wine. Light in colour, the wine has aromas of blossom with apple and lime on the nose, and flavours of peach and pear on the palate. The grapes are harvested at night to retain freshness, resulting in a lively acidity. This is a well-balanced, multi-layered wine with a lingering, flinty finish.

A perfect wine for a seafood dish – we had it with pan-fried salmon. Or try it with goat’s cheese.

Available from Majestic £16.99 (Mix Six £12.99)

A perfect match for garlic prawns …

The Pebble Sauvignon Blanc, Loire Valley (2020)

The Loire Valley has an abundance of wines to offer, with vineyards growing all along the Loire from Sancerre in the east to the Atlantic Ocean in the west. The four sub-regions traversed by the Loire are subject to different climactic conditions, each suited to specific grape varieties – Sauvignon Blanc in the Central Vineyards and Touraine; Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc in Touraine and Anjou-Saumur; and Melon Blanc in Nantais, for example.

You will find plenty to savour amongst the wines of this region but for me, when I think of the Loire Valley, I think of Sauvignon Blanc and am immediately transported to Sancerre where I spent some time as a student, and Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc wines have been a firm favourite ever since.

Produced from grapes grown in soils rich in chalk, gravel, limestone and flint of the Sancerre region, The Pebble Sauvignon Blanc is a smooth, dry wine with a refreshing minerality. With aromas of jasmine, apple and peach on the nose, and flavours of apple, lime and passionfruit on the palate, this is a well-balanced wine with a medium finish.

Try it by itself or with a seafood dish. We enjoyed it with garlic prawns – perfect!

Available from Tesco (£9)

Western Australia – sun, sea and great wine …

The Margaret River region of Western Australia conjures up images of warm sunshine, stunning beaches and great surfing. And of course, a multitude of vineyards. Over 200 in fact, with plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Semillon, and Sauvignon Blanc the most common.

The two last varieties, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, are both widely planted in the region and are often blended together to create a delightful combination with the light, citrussy character of the Semillon complementing the aromatic and fruity nature of the Sauvignon Blanc. This pairing is now one of Margaret River’s signature styles of wine making.

Vasse Felix Classic Semillon Sauvignon 2020, Margaret River

This Vasse Felix blend is produced by one of Western Australia’s pioneering wineries. A dry wine with medium acidity, it has pronounced aromas of peach and nectarine on the nose, and crisp, refreshing flavours of lime, grapefruit and pineapple on the palate. A well-balanced wine with a medium finish, this pairs very well with seafood or chicken, and would also go well with a slightly spicy dish.

Available from Tesco (£12)