2016 Boya Sauvignon Blanc - 93 Points Descorchados!

With the mercury rising, we're entering prime Sauvignon Blanc weather in Jackson. To help combat the heat, our tasting team decided to put the 2016 Boya Leyda Valley (Chile) Sauvignon Blanc to the decanting test.

After initial agitation in the decanter, the Boya presented aromas of soft chalk, sea breeze, and salted cold pears. Within 25 minutes, aromas of white grapefruit, grass, and lime zest became evident as whiffs of green peppers added interest to the mix.

At 25 minutes, we had our first taste of this wine and were impressed by a persistent 50+ second finish that delivered energetic waves of oceanic salinity carrying zesty herbs, juicy lemons, and white grapefruit across the palate.

10 minutes later, aromas of elderflowers awoke on the nose while the wine continued to gracefully deliver powerful citrus flavors across the palate with great length.  

At $18.97 and 93 points from Descorchados, the 2016 Boya Sauvignon Blanc is one of the vintage's must-have Sauvignon Blancs! With an abundance of citrus and soft herbal notes, this wine would be sensational with steamed seafood, particularly mussels & clams. The Boya also makes the perfect wine for Spring and Summer backyard cookouts.

2015 Calcu Sauvignon Blanc, Descorchados 91 Points!

At just $14.98 and 91 points from Descorchados, the 2015 Calcu Sauvignon Blanc is our next contestant for the decanting test. Within five minutes of opening, this impressive wine from the foothills of the Andes Mountains in the Colchagua Valley (Chile) exhibited a bounty of the Sauvignon Blanc's traditional flavors with earthy notes of faint smoky flint, light sea breeze, and moist chalk with fruit flavors of lemon zest, pears, green apples, and undertones of pineapple. 

Our first tasting came at 15 minutes. Initially, there's a brief moment on the palate when the wine seems like it may be a little short and linear.  However, the wine promptly expands and coats the palate with a lush delivery of concentrated waves of pear, green apples, and lemons, echoing the initial aromas.

At 30 minutes, additional development reveals attractive aromas of delicate wintergreen deep within the glass. That scent, combined with the bracing flavors of light salinity and lime make the 2015 Calcu Sauvignon Blanc a refreshing companion for your next patio outing.

Overall, we find the Descorchados 91 to be a fair review and the 2015 Calcu Sauvignon Blanc to be a great value at just $14.98.

2014 Dry Creek Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Wine Review 95!!

The usual team of Jimm, Kyle, and Tasho tasted this outstanding Sauvignon Blanc. After vigorously agitating the wine in a decanter for 15 minutes, it offered aromas of salted pear, underripe banana, honeydew melon, and white peach. With more time, additional complexities of white flowers, light spice, and cold butter emerge. The wine has an incredibly agile mouth-feel and energetically delivers white peach, white grapefruit, and refreshing lemon citricity on the palate. This wine would pair perfectly with sticky cheeses (especially goat's cheese), rich foods, and fried seafood (especially calamari). Enjoy this wine's 35+ second finish on warm days on the patio. At just $17.98. Dry Creek over delivers for the price!

- Tasho Katsaboulas

2015 Les Hauts de Lagarde White Bordeaux, France (Wine Enthusiast 90 Points & #20 on Top 100 Best Buys)

The 2015 Les Hauts de Lagarde is a Sauvignon - Semillon (60/40) blend from Bordeaux, France. We (Jimm and Tasho) splashed this down in a decanter and vigorously agitated the wine with immediate results in aromas of beeswax, lemon zest, wet white chalk, lanolin, faint white pepper, and unripe yellow plums.

At 9 minutes, the palate is offering delicious gooseberry flavors, and aromas of elderflowers are beginning to emerge. At 12 - 15 minutes, the wine is truly starting to open, and the palate is becoming really juicy while maintaining a waxy creaminess at the same time. The acidity of Sauvignon Blanc provides the perfect amount of energy to deliver the juicy honeyed citricity in waves through the plush, creamy waxiness featuring beeswax and chalky minerality. The wines prescribed 60/40 composition must be a rough generalization as the winemaker clearly was not constrained in achieving a perfect balance in the wine.

The energy and length of the wine are remarkable featuring a solid 45+ second finish that persists even longer if you count the refreshing mineral-water-like aspect that lingers. 

I see this wine as extremely versatile. Porch lovers will no doubt love this wine for its refreshing aspects such as the juicy lemons and crisp minerality. The acidity makes this a great food wine, even for rich dishes. Then, although the wine is incredibly refreshing, there's a creamy waxiness yielding a body that makes this a great cold weather wine as well. 

This wine is very worthy of being placed at #20 on Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 Best Buys. However, I feel the wine possesses a complexity and balance that exceeds Wine Enthusiast's 90 point rating. I personally scored this wine at 92 points.

Give this outstanding $16 white Bordeaux a try and lets us know what you think @KatsWine. This wine is a Tasting Team Wine so we'll message you back with 15% Off your next Tasting Team Wine when you do!

- Tasho Katsaboulas