St. Supéry Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Tasting Notes

My first whiff gave me more minerality than I expected, indeed a rather complex amalgam of clay, stone and petrol, but the fruit came soon after: a range of citrus (lime, grapefruit and orange), and fragrant melon. The mouth felt a pleasant spritz and an addition of white peach to the mix, followed by increasing tropical notes with each taste: banana, mango, and a little kiwi.

The wine has a finish that I enjoyed but that might trouble some, because what begins as a fruity minerality converts into some notes of bitter orange rind at the finale, which isn't as smooth as some may want and which includes a little too much heat. I certainly consider this a minor issue, especially if you are having this wine with food.

The first impulse is to attribute a little New Zealand sassiness to the wine, since the fruit and acidity are there, but the wine also has aspects of French minerality, you could even say European reserve. Some wines demand comparison to type, styles and other expressions of the grape, but this Sauvignon Blanc has enough going for it to allow us to take it on its own terms. Ultimately it is quite a satisfying mouthful; I wouldn't want to hear that they started tinkering with it.