At the outset, I told you that there would be no wine snobbery advocated or practiced in this forum. I, for one, don't believe in spitting out a perfectly good mouthful of even a bad wine. Specifically, I think I mentioned cork-sniffing in my introductory post. True to form, our first wine up for discussion is not even in a corked bottle! I know, I know. Purists out there will poo-poo and scoff at such talk, but believe you me, the screw-top's day is coming! We're not talking about Night Train or Mad-Dog, either.
There are many "respectable" wineries out there nowadays who are going over to screw-tops, some exclusively so. A high quality screw top does not affect the flavor of the wine and is just as effective as a cork as keeping the air and the wine where they belong.
Now, I talk to a lot of everyday folks in my line of work, and when the subject of wine comes up, inevitably the statement, "I prefer reds/whites" comes up. I have to say that I sympathize with such sentiment to a certain extent. For the record, I happen to prefer reds, primarily because in my limited experience the typical "red" is drier (less sweet), and has a stronger flavor (I'm not a big fan of subtlety!) than the typical white. Don't get me wrong here--I drink whites as readily as I do reds, especially when paired properly with food. But when it comes to having a glass of wine in the evening simply because I want a glass of wine, I usually do choose one of the varieties of red that I prefer. I make an exception to this rule when it comes to sauvignon blanc, which is drier than most other whites, with an acidy tartness that is not usually present, or at least not as pronounced, in other white wines. Sauvignon blanc is often described as having flavors and aromas reminiscent of gooseberry, green peppers, passion fruit, and nettles.
With that, let me introduce this week's wine, Lindemans Bin 95 Sauvignon Blanc 2005. Yeah, I know it's a couple of years old, and probably past its prime, but I found it on a clearance rack, and since we're all about doing wine on the cheap here, I figured what the hell. Lindemans is one of the better known and more well-heeled winemakers of southeastern Australia, having a history dating back to 1843.
From the label: "Consistent from one year to the next, Lindemens Bin Series has become one of the world's favourite range of wines. Lindemans Bin 95 Sauvignon Blanc is a floral, fresh, full flavoured wine wine that can be enjoyed with salad or seafood." Along these lines, my wife last served this wine with her famous stuffed flounder, accompanied by wild rice varieties and a nice spring mix salad with goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes. It's no wonder I'm getting fat. Er.
I'd go on to say that sauvignon blancs are paired excellently with spicy Thai or Indian food (or any Asian food for that matter), or with dishes that traditionally call for whites, but have particularly strong flavors or unorthodox flavor pairings. Chicken dishes that are heavily spiced, for example, or are accented with very sharp or pungent cheeses, make great companions for a wine like this.
Lindemans website goes into more detail about the production and character of this wine: "Lindemans Bin 95 Sauvignon Blanc is a reliable, all-purpose wine made in an unoaked style, which highlights the variety's distinctive, fresh herbaceous and tropical fruit aromas and flavours." "Elegant and refreshing, this medium bodied wine is packed with layers of fruit flavour, reflecting the varied regional base. Gooseberry and kiwi fruit flavours are at the fore, leading to a grassy, smooth finish. Mouthwatering natural acidity adds great complexity."
So, my opinion? Well, first let me tell you that when my wife asked me to pick up a bottle of wine to go with her stuffed flounder, I already knew what type of wine I was looking for, if not the particular brand. When I got to the wine section of our local grocery store and saw that this one was being discontinued, I bought all six of the bottles they had left on the shelf. This wine, if you can still find it in this year, sells in the $9-$11 range, but they had it marked down to just over $5, so the price was right, even though I had never tasted it before. When I first nosed my glass, the first thought that came to mind was freshly cut grass, with some underlying tones of fruitiness. Life--thriving. The flavor is undeniably fruit, fairly strong, but without the sweetness of many other fruity wines. The tartness stays in the background at first, but comes forward to balance out the fruit and leave a crisp, clean finish and a mouth watering for another sip.
That's all! Please comment and let me know what you think! And as always, please enjoy wine responsibly!
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