Wine Tasting: Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc

 

Name:  Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc

Variety:  Sauvignon Blanc

Region:  Marlborough

Country:  New Zealand

Year:  2020

Price:  $9.99

Online Review:  "It all starts in our Marlborough vineyards, in the region famous for introducing elegant, cool climate New Zealand wines to the world. Marlborough’s warm days and cool nights create an extended growing season allowing the grapes to develop strong, intense varietal characteristics whilst maintaining a balanced, crisp natural acidity. The result is a distinct wine that is always crisp, elegant, and refreshing. Uniquely Marlborough and undeniably Oyster Bay." (https://www.oysterbaywines.com/us/our-wines/marlborough-sauvignon-blanc)

Wine Folly:  (Wine Folly, pg. 165-166).  According to Wine Folly, Sauvignon Blanc's primary aromas and flavors consist of gooseberry, honeydew, grapefruit, white peach, and passion-fruit.  I got the strong citrus/honeydew aroma, and I could sense a hint of peach taste.  The overwhelming flavor that I sensed was that of cutt-grass and herbs - something extremely unique to the Sauvignon Blanc varietal.

My Review:  Wow, this Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc provides quite an interesting experience!  I was not a big fan of its aroma, as it reminded me of spoiled citrus or rotted fruit.  Its flavor was very herbaceous and made me almost feel like I was grazing in a pasture.  Served chilled, this Sauvignon Blanc was not overly acidic, and it provided a nice, smooth finish.  In the future, I think that I will definitely try to pair this wine with food to complement its rather strange taste.

I did not pair this wine with any food.

Wine Tasting: Apothic Red

Name:  Apothic Red

Variety:  Red Blend

Region:  California

Country:  United States

Year:  2018

Price:  $10.99

Tasting Notes (provided on the bottle):  Our winemaker masterfully creates a smooth blend where rich layers of dark fruit emerge, complemented by hints of mocha and vanilla.  A long, smooth finish opens your night to endless possibilities.

Wine Folly:  Because this Apothic Red is a blend of unspecified red varietals, I could not find any specific reference to this type of wine in Wine Folly.

My Review:  This 2018 Apothic Red possessed a very strong odor of dark currant and coffee (there was almost a sense of chocolate in its powerful aroma).  Unfortunately, I found its taste to be quite dull - there was a significant lack of flavor in this wine, and its medium-body and light astringent component rendered it quite bland.  In my wine experiences so far, I have not been a fan of blends - this Apothic Red blend certainly confirmed that observation.  I would not recommend this wine to anyone who is really searching for complex, unique flavors.

I did not pair this wine with any food.