My cousin coming for dinner is always an event. Alan’s been a member of the Opimion Society for years and is always happy to share one or two of his latest finds — which is great for me.
Unlike Frank, I don’t travel much so I seldom have an opportunity to restock my cellar with unusual vintages.
This visit he produced a 2009 Mount Vernon Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough (a scene of the countryside shown below). New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has long been a favourite of mine, but this brought a totally unexpected new taste experience.
Rather than the classic grass I’d anticipated on the nose, there was a crisp, almost salty minerality — slate and gravel rather like standing on the edge of an ancient excavation with a sea breeze caressing my face. Later, floral notes
and just a hint of lavender appeared, but from start to finish, this wine never lost any of its fresh joyousness. Now I confess, I’d gotten rather heavy-handed with both ginger and garlic when I made the evening’s chili chicken stir fry, but with only 12.5% alcohol, the wine held its own and was, in fact, close to a perfect pairing. It also went unbelievably well with the chocolate cookies my fiancé whipped up for dessert — his special recipe includes cardamom, cloves, and more fresh ginger.
Alas, it seems as if this wine is almost impossible to get any other way than through the society, and the only information I could find on the web was that this winery produces only Sauvignon Blanc and doesn’t have it’s own website. Thanks Alan. Oh, and are you free for dinner again soon?
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