By Rick Riozza
For the longest time now, this column has been lobbying to place Savvy Blanc (née Sauvignon Blanc) on the designated county flag of Coachella Valley; for Sauvignon Blanc has had a real love affair with our Coachella Valley.
Nothing difficult to figure out here: we live in one of the hottest spots on earth, and (what we have lovingly re-named Savvy Blanc), the wine remains ever so popular during the spring, summer, and fall months in the desert. Chilled up to between 45 and 50 degrees, this wine can be as refreshing as a cold beer—and it’s a bit less filling and a touch more potent, if you’re focused on that sort of stuff!
And of course, throughout our article archives, we’ve described this wine ad infinitum. Only a month ago, we wrote on the Sauv Blancs coming out of South Africa. What we always stress is that it’s important to know that Savvy Blanc wine is especially expressive of its terroir & region—so know your geography! Who knew you’d have some fun drinking your way through & around a map!
So Savvy Blanc is one of the best wines to drink with food. Indeed, many who aren’t fond of it as a sipping or cocktail wine are miraculously converted when they have it with a meal. The usual comments are like, “classic” Sauvignon Blanc, young, minimally oaked or unoaked, redolent of bright “green” flavors, with tangy acidity, is sublime with most salads, vegetarian dishes—especially those including peppers, eggplant, zucchini, asparagus, or leeks, and the freshest and simplest seafood and fowl.
It performs well with most shellfish and light poultry and shows beautifully with white meats (pork and veal) if they are prepared in a manner that spikes its flavors, such as with French & Mediterranean fare of citrus, capers, garlic, olives, and ginger.
A green salad with goat cheese, a pasta with green beans, tomatoes, and pesto, and flash-fried rock cod fillets are all prime candidates. Additionally, many sharp, soft-rind, or lightly washed-rind cheeses are lovely tablemates. Sauvignon Blanc pairs well with feta, ricotta salata, Fontina, Jarlsberg, and any shape, age and size of goat cheese. We just enjoyed a Spanish marbled goat cheese espelette: it’s the bomb!
When you want to bring out the best in a dish, a Sauvignon Blanc can highlight a recipe without masking its character.
Okay—let’s move on:
We already are quite familiar with “red blends” where different red varietals are blended together so the bottle can speak of flavors from a Cab, Merlot, Syrah, Cab Franc, Petit Sirah, Malbec, Pinot Noir, et cetera. Red blends are the hit of the present century because the fruity red varietals lessen the strength and bite of the Cabernet Sauvignon—whose fruit we love—but some don’t love all the tannins in one fell gulp! Red blends are on the softer side of midnight.
So what about Sauvignon Blanc blends? Have you heard of such a thing!? Of course you have: classically, the original brand in the building is—wait for it! White Bordeaux—or, Bordeaux blanc, should you wish step up your wine game vocab.
Oh yeah—of course. So pretty much the predominant white grape in a white Bordeaux is our satiating, satisfying, & superb Sauvignon Blanc. However, most of the time, there is a bit, or a touch, or a fair amount of a white Bordeaux blending grape in the mix: the blending Sémillon, Muscadelle, Sauvignon Gris, Colombard, or Ugni Blanc. Each grape offers a smile of its own character.
Without sounding too nerdy, Sémillon contributes body & texture; Muscadelle is not related to the Muscat grape, but it does add delicate aromatic tones. Sauv Gris is a more full-bodied cousin of Sauv Blanc; Colombard is one of the grapes used in Cognac; and Ugni Blanc is also known in Italy as Trebbiano—if you know Trebbiano, then you know what it can contribute to Sauv Blanc.
We just wrote on the blessed Bordeaux 2022 vintage, and fortuitously, a couple of 2022 Bordeaux blanc samples have arrived to us first class and properly insulated from our desert heat. Here’s our take:
Both samples are from esteemed Châteaux in Bordeaux. When it comes to enjoying a red Cos-d’Estournel or a red Tronquoy-Lalande, you are definitely living the life. And now when it comes to 2022 Bordeaux blanc, we’re not doing too bad either.
2022 Château Cos-d’Estournel Pagodes de Cos ($75). This is a classic Bordeaux blanc in a nutshell with tangy and lively flavors. We denote quinine, lemon pith, and verbena notes from the Sauv blanc; and, lemon curd from the blending Sémillon.
Notes from this French winery sound like French Lit: “A comforting lull. Pagodes de Cos Blanc inspires a feeling of serenity, as time slows down and one can savor the simple pleasures of spending time with loved ones. Like an old friend, Pagodes de Cos Blanc is genial and spontaneous, recalling the delights of a carefree stroll or a moment of bliss in a garden filled with fragrant blossoms, as it offers an intense, delicate feeling of calm.
“The 2022 vintage is delectable and delicate, offering aromas of orange blossoms, the tart sweetness of mandarin notes, and a keen mineral freshness. It is a most satisfying wine, one that begs to be shared.”
2022 Château Tronquoy-Lalande ($50). This Bordeaux blanc is a great example of two blending grapes to our fab Savvy Blanc: Sémillon and the additional Sauvignon Gris. As a result, the wine is very juicy while maintaining its zippiness! Notes of white peach, jasmine, honeysuckle and salted butter permeate.
A la nôtre! A la tienne!—Cheers!
