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2009 Yealands Sauvignon Blanc

I served the 2009 Yealands Sauvignon Blanc when a friend and her children came by to swim, my own teen-aged daughter was there to lifeguard. I am typically a fan of New Zealand sauvignon blanc, particularly from Marlborough, as I really like the higher acidity levels that they can obtain there. I picked this bottle up at the grocery store for about $11, the "carbon zero" label attracted me to it. The menu was simple: cold-boiled shrimp, guacamole with chips, lots of fresh fruit (with ham & cheese sandwiches for the kids).
I felt that this was a really good wine for the price point when we tasted it. It was a pale straw-color in the glass. Although it called itself intensely aromatic on the bottle label, I felt that it was a more lightly-scented sauvignon blanc. Aromatically, the lime hit first and a minerality that I would call wet stone. I could also pick up black current, fresh cut grass with hints of jalapeno. On the palate, the flavors were more intense than I had expected, there was a lot of citrus. The lime was there but the flavors of grapefruit and pineapple were far more pronounced. For $11, I would absolutely purchase this wine again. I really liked the clean, zesty acidity and the nice lingering finish.
This wine comes from the largest privately owned vineyard in New Zealand which is operated according to sustainable principles. The winery was built under the New Zealand Green Building Council's Accreditation Program. The wine is a certified carbon zero product.


*Second Thought added on 10/13/10 http://tinyurl.com/SecondThoughts

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