2007 Lancaster Estate Samantha's Sauvignon Blanc

Tonight, we had Stacey and Chris over for dinner. We are going to be out of town for Stacey's baby shower, so this was our chance to give her our shower gifts.

We served this wine with the appetizer course of shrimp and smoked salmon.

Lancaster Estate is located in the Chalk Hill area of the Alexander Valley. It is owned by an executive of Southern Wine and Spirits. They've built a modern winery and a magnificent contemporary architecture house on the property.

Winemaker's notes: Our 2007 Sauvignon Blanc honors our daughter, Samantha. This wine exhibits baked, ripe pineapple and sweet grapefruit aromas, with complex, full flavors of honeydew melon and citrus characters. Aged 7 months in 90% stainless steel and 10% new French oak barrels, the wine was bottled unfiltered, to retain purity of expression. 600 cases produced.

This Sauvignon Blanc was different from those originating from New Zealand and Chile that have much more pronounced grapefruit or lime flavors. Not better or worse, just different.

2007 Casa Marin Sauvignon Blanc - Cipreses Vineyard

We served this wonderful white wine from Chile with appetizers before our New Year's Eve dinner. Caren prepared a dish with Black Forest ham, gruyere cheese, and spicy hot mustard baked in phyllo dough. She also prepared some of her spicy mixed nuts along with assorted cheeses and flatbreads.

The Cipreses vineyard is located at the very top of a hillside slope overlooking the towns of Lo Abarca and Lo Zarate, with both a northern and southern exposure. It is an extremely windy area, which acts as a natural restraining agent on grape yield. The results are very weak vines and low productivity. Drip irrigation is used, and part of the vineyard faces the ocean.

This wine received 95 points from Wine and Spirits magazine.

2006 Nobilo, Icon - Sauvignon Blanc

Our guests from Australia are still visiting and cooked a tasty pasta and shrimp dinner for us. We served this Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough area in New Zealand (they like the white wines from there). This wine is readily available in supermarkets and box stores here in the U.S..

Winery tasting notes: Light straw in color with brilliant clarity. A rich bouquet of pineapple and passion fruit, layered with fresh herbal aromas of nettles and ripe capsicum. Showing excellent structure and palate weight, this wine has a smooth, viscous mouth feel. Distinct Marlborough characters of passion fruit, gooseberry and nettles linger on the palate in a crisp, refreshing finish.

So much for their description. To my palate it tasted clean and crisp, but more like a Chardonnay than a NZ Sauvignon Blanc.

2005 Deerfield Ranch Sauvignon Blanc, Peterson Vineyard

This Sauvignon Blanc is from the Sonoma Valley, home of the town of Kenwood and Deerfield Ranch Winery.

Winemaker's tasting notes: The fruit forward nose has more going on than you’re used to getting from an SB. It’s generosity beckons but does not fully prepare you for the pleasingly crisp first taste. As promised, the middle is layered and full, reaching every corner of your palate. The length of the finish completely surprises you. A second tastes confirms that one sensation slides seamlessly into the next.

The temperature was in the mid-90s today - unusual for the middle of November. So we had a light dinner of tuna salad with this wine.

2004 Chateau St. Jean Fume' Blanc Le Petite Etoile Vineyard

From a very popular winery located in the Sonoma Valley. This wine is made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes they source from a vineyard in the nearby Russian River Valley. Picked up this bottle last year at a great price at Costco.

Lightly golden in colour. Butter, oak, vanilla, and pear evident on the nose and palate.

Served this with a large salad that included a scoop of fresh rotisserie chicken salad on top.

2006 Esterlina Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc

This winery is located on a ridge 1200' above the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County. It is owned by the Sterling family who also own Everett Ridge Winery in the Dry Creek Road appellation of Sonoma County. This wine is full of bright citrus flavors, plenty of grapefruit, lime and lemon. With 100% stainless steel fermentation, it is a very refreshing, enjoyable bottle of wine. 385 cases produced.

We served it tonight with veal piccata, fettucine noodles, and green salad.