Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a high acidity grape with aromas of grass, gooseberries, and asparagus. It often has a vegetal quality. Sauvignon blanc is best unoaked. Old World wines include the Loire favorites Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. New World Sauvignon Blancs (New Zealand and Australia) have additional citrus flavors of grapefruit and pineapple.
With its high acidity, Sauvignon Blanc is a natural match for fresh Chèvre. Comté pairs well with some oaked New World Sauvignon Blancs.
Cat's Phee on a Gooseberry Bush 2005 (Tasted in 2006) $10.99 at World Market. East Coast Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. 13% alcohol. The label is bright green with an evil-looking grey cat cartoon smirking, as if he's just peed all over your laundry. There are even little black paw prints around the bottle neck. The back label says that the growing conditions for the grapes were warm summer days and cool evenings. The wine is supposed to have strong gooseberry aromas and "gentle hints of cat." Intensely flavored. It does have an intense flavor. It is not as light and grassy as some of the NZ Sauvignon Blancs I have had recently. It smells heavily of gooseberries. I don't know that I smell the cat's pee, but, yeah, when I think about it, maybe I do get a whiff of it. It also tasted like grapefruit and lemons, and had a floral, slightly vanilla-tinted finish.
Cat's Phee with Crema de Cabra. I would have preferred a firmer fresh goat with this wine, but this was a good match. The cheese, however, was a little too creamy for the wild flavors. I would have liked a flakier cheese better with it.
Cat's Phee with Kerrigold Cheddar. These were very good together. Cheddars can sometimes be grassy and tangy, much like a Sauvignon Blanc. This wine has enough body to deal with a big fat Cheddar.
Henri Bourgeois Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Bourgeois 2003 (Tasted in 2004) $13.99 at Wiggy's. 12% alcohol, from the Loire Valley, Chavignol. I bought this wine to go with some goat cheeses, as usual. It is supposed to be a milder, softer version of Sancerre, which can be pretty biting at times. It is a light yellow color. Aroma is wonderful -- like ripe apples, definitely lychee nuts, and some citrus. If I didn't know it, I would think this was new world Sauvignon Blanc from the smell of it. It tastes smooth and tingly (like a Riesling), medium-bodied, almost spicy, hot finish. I taste something herbaceous, like pine or spruce trees. It is woody, but not oaky. Some residual sugar. It is not quite as dry as other Sancerre types. This is a very pleasant wine that I could sit and sip without food. http://www.bourgeois-sancerre.com
*Petit Bourgeois with Crottin de Champcol. Earthy, nutty cheese, but mild. Very nice together. They just blend together perfectly. The cheese is slightly salty and very nutty, and then the wine is fruity and not too dry. The cheese takes away some of the sharp pine flavors from the wine, but adds its own muskiness -- like rotten wood from the forest floors. Even though the cheese is a little overpowering in some places, it works because of the wine's acidity. This is a younger Crottin, so that is the best with this wine. Any older would be too much.
Petit Bourgeois with Fleur Vert. Fresh goat cheese coated in fresh herbs. OK together, but the herbs do interfere and overpower the wine. Something starts to taste like that smell of ink at a copy shop. It tastes toxic. The finish is all herbs and no wine. It's not a total failure. I'm serving it at a party just because people love this cheese so much, but I won't bill it as a felicitous pairing.
Ferrari-Carano 2004 (Tasted in 2005) $13.99 at World Market on sale. 13.5% alcohol. From Sonoma County, CA. The grapes are from the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valley. The Russian River Valley grapes are supposed to impart a crisp acidity. The Alexander Valley grapes are ripe with melon and other fruits. The Dry Creek Valley gives the wine floral and herbal nuances. Partially barrel fermented in French oak. Rich finish. Salty, vanilla, tingly on the tongue, creamy mouthfeel. Perfectly balanced. I didn't ever think I would be into a Sauvignon Blanc with oak, but I love this. It's my new favorite wine. It's so good, I just downed half a bottle in no time. It's exactly what I wish a Chardonnay would be -- lightly oaky but with all that extra zinginess. It does have some melon flavors and smells like flowers, especially honeysuckle. Gorgeous nose. The wine rep said it was supposed to taste smoky. After all it is a "fumé," but I don't really get the smoke at all.
Ferrari-Carano with Capri Feuille. Bolder little Ste. Maure looking goat cheese log from France, soft-ripened like a Brie. It is chalky on the inside, and then creamy towards the rind. The rind is starting to get some toad skin wrinkling on it. At first this is pretty good, but only for a split second. Then it is disgusting. It is really bitter and the wine brings out a strong animal (read, droppings) flavor in the cheese that was not there when I ate it plain.
*Ferrari-Carano with Fleur Verte. This is as good as I imagined it would be. The cheese has such a gorgeous, creamy texture, and still very delicate and French-like rather than being so bold as some American goats. It feels kind of lacy on the tongue. It's covered in herbs. I felt like, when I had the cheese with the herbs, it made the wine taste fishy. It's best not to eat the rind with this wine, but the paste is exquisite.
Grape Creek Fumé Blanc 2002 (Tasted in 2004) Texas Hill Country, 100% Sauvignon Blanc. This is from Stonewall, I think near where Becker Vineyards is. 12.9% alcohol. 411.79 at Grapevine. This is from 10 miles away from Fredericksburg in the Hill Country6 on Highway 290. The wine is made by the Simes' family. http://www.grapecreek.com. "French Oak barrel-fermentation gives this wine a creamier texture to match the pears and honeydew melon flavors, accompanied by lemon peel and grapefruit. It is, also, complimented with a slight smokiness with a little vanilla and toasted coconut that is in harmony with the other flavors and aromas. Very well balanced with a long finish. This Gold Medal winner has 12.9% Alc. by Vol. Bottled 426 cases, May 3, 2003." The bottle is really pretty with a vine in the shape of a G. The review is correct. This is an extremely creamy wine and I definitely taste some kind of tropical fruit like mangos. I was looking for something to go with goat cheese, maybe a tart, tangy wine. This may be too melony. I guess the reason that it surprised me is because it has been aged in oak, whereas most Sauvignon Blanc isn't. It very good and really interesting. I get the feeling it is less of a cheese wine, but we'll see.
GrapeCreek Fumé Blanc with Capriole Fresh Goat cheese from Indiana. This is really good together, but the wine overpowers the cheese. The tart, lemon in the cheese makes the vanilla and melon flavors really come out in the wine. Then, in the finish, I taste lemon again. It is nice. There is some bitterness, but it's ok. It's interesting. I like the blend a lot, the vanilla and tart fruit. I can't quit eating this.
GrapeCreek Fumé Blanc with Four Star Cheddar, aged 4 years, from Grafton in Vermont. Super sharp, but mellow. This is great together. That sharp nuttiness with the melons and the little bit of tropical citrus flavor really goes well with this cheese. This is excellent. I think I like this as well as or better than this cheese with the Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc. I like the wood in this wine with the cheese.
*GrapeCreek Fumé Blanc with Goat Gouda, Uniekaas. Great! Finally a wine is working with this cheese. It is so creamy, sweet, salty, nutty, and slightly goaty. I really like the wood in this wine with this cheese. This cheese is almost sweet. It makes the wine nice and tart, but I also still taste a lot of vanilla. It's really really nice. This goat cheese holds up to the wine so much better than the fresh Capriole.
GrapeCreek Fumé Blanc with La Tur Alta Langa. This is also weird. I decided to try some crazy cheeses with this wine. The cheese is nice and salty and tangy, but with the wine, it's way too bitter. Yuck. I can't get this taste out of my mouth.
GrapeCreek Fumé Blanc with French goat heart. I think this is called Coeur d'Alvignac. Woo, this is kind of weird. It's ok at first, nutty and melony, and then it gets bitter. It tastes like dirt.
Jaja 2001 (Tasted in 2003) $6.99 at Grapevine. It comes in a very green bottle with a green label. 13.5% alcohol. It comes from the south of France on the Mediterranean coast at the foothills of the Pyrénées. The climate is warm and sunny. "Jaja" is slang for the region's full-flavored everyday wines. This wine is very yellow and doesn't look like a French Sauvignon Blanc, maybe because it is from the south. It smells like citrus and melons. It also has a vegetal smell. It is a little bitter, almost like a kiwi. It doesn't really taste like a Sauvignon Blanc to me. It is acidic and fruity, but it reminds me more of a northern Italian white like a Soave than a Sauvignon Blanc. It is medium-bodied and thick on the tongue. It also has a little bit of effervescence. It is good. I'd definitely buy this again. It was so cheap!
Jaja with Cabot Private Stock Cheddar. Nasty! I thought this might go together, but it is awful. The cheese is good, but it already tasted a little like licking a tire. Then, add the wine, and it is like drinking Kool-Aid just after you lick a tire. The cheese tastes like dirt with this wine, and the wine gets way too fruity with the cheese. They hate each other, and I hate them together.
Jaja with Garrotxa. Bitter! Everything seems to be really bitter with this wine. This tastes like dirt and mold. I refuse to try it a second time.
Jaja with Pure Luck Chèvre. This is a much better match, but it is still bitter. I don't know what it is about this wine. I like it, but it sure isn't going with any of my cheeses, even the obvious choices.
Jaja with Sweet Grass Tomme. I don't like this together at all. I thought they might go since they are both tangy and have a little bitterness, but no, it was double whammy on the dirt taste.
Jaja with Triple Creme Cream Cheese. I thought these two might go together since the cheese is so tart and the wine has such good acidity fruit, but they were icky. They are not so great because the wine already tastes a little bitter and the cheese just makes it worse.
Monte Lago Sauvignon Blanc Clear Lake 2001 (Tasted in 2004) $15 at Grapevine Market. I bought this during a demo. Giving it an 88, Wine Spectator wrote, “Fragrant and bright, with a lively beam of intensity to passion fruit, lemon, melon and quince flavors that persist through the nicely focused finish.” From http://www.drinkseesaw.com and the winery is http://www.montelagowinery.com. This wine comes from Clearlake, just above the bay area. The hillside vineyard derives its name from the volcanic Mt. Konocti and the picturesque Clear Lake. The terroir is unique because the wine is grown on volcanic soils. Long ripening seasons with hot summer days and cool nights by the lake. Only 600 cases made. The It is slightly yellow. It smells like rich, tropical fruit and butter. Great minerality, wild fruit, and something that tastes like wood on the finish. I bought this wine after tasting it because it was so salty and minerally. I retasted this again in 2005 and loved it.
Monte Lago with Emmental Swiss Wheel. Mild, nutty Swiss cheese. I thought that since the wine tasted a little woody, this might go. Very good. It is also a little bitter like it was with the other cheeses, but the fruit stands out in the wine, as does the milk in the cheese, and the minerality is refreshing. The cheese gets overpowered somewhat. Still, it is a good match. This would be best if the cheese were at room temperature.
Monte Lago with Haystack Mountain Applewood goat cheese. This wine tasted like it had some wood going on, so I matched it up with the smoked goat. It is ok together and then turns bitter. This is not a perfect match.
*Monte Lago with Asiago Fresco. Creamy, buttery semi-soft cheese. I like this together, though it is also bitter on the finish. The soft buttery cheese is a good match for the acidity and the fruit. It's good. Both the wine and the cheese are rich. It makes an interesting overripe fruit flavor in my mouth.
*Monte Lago with Fleur Verte goat's milk cheese with herbs. This is very nice together. The wine blends perfectly with the tangy goat cheese, but I lose some of the qualities of the wine. I don't get as much minerals out of it. Probably a plain goat cheese would be better.
Monte Lago with Montasio. Nutty, caramel-tasting semi-hard cow's milk cheese from Italy. Nice, and then bitter. No. The weights of these two were good together, but the flavors clashed.
*Monte Lago with Montery Jack from Texas Jersey. This is good in the same way that the Asiago was. This cheese is easy to match up with wines. The creamy fruit flavors stay in the wine, and its nice, salty flavor shines through.
Monte Lago with Parmigiano-Reggiano. I just happened to have this cheese on hand and thought the salty flavors might be nice together. It wasn't so great. The salty cheese erased a lot of the fruit. It brought out the minerality in the wine, but I missed the nice fruit.
Mulderbosch 2002 (Tasted in 2004) 12.5% alcohol. $20.99 at Grapevine, a little under $20 at Austin Wine Merchant. Woo! I didn't look at the price when I bought this. It is expensive, but is very good. From Stellenbosch, South Africa I have been wanting to taste a South African wine for a while. It says to serve it with goat cheese, asparagus, artichokes, oysters, snapper, calamari, seafood paella, or chicken in white wine sauce. It is extremely aromatic. It smells vegetal, grassy, and citrusy. I read online that it is supposed to have "textbook gooseberry flavors." It is light yellow. It is delicious. I definitely taste a lot of lime and minerals. It has a lot of acidity, but it is also very pleasant and doesn't leave my mouth puckered up too much. It has a lot of character. I like the tingly bubbly feeling on the tongue. It is described online as having a "racy acidity." I tasted it again later. It does taste like gooseberries, and I know what they taste like finally. It is tingly, vegetal, citrusy, crisp, fruity, and it doesn't taste like grapefruit. I get some minerals.
Mulderbosch with Alta Langa La Tur. I have never seen this cheese except in its overly ripened state. It is all misshapen and runny, and the rind is a little tough, but it is still really really good. Towards the rind it is extremely runny and musty, but in the center, it is tangy, salty, and exciting. This cheese is very vegetal. It has some white mold on the rind, but doesn't fight so much with the wine like the others did. I like this together. I think it works because the wine is fuller-bodied and the cheese has a nice acidity. The cheese brings out a floral, almost fruity flavor in the wine. The aftertaste is bitter, but it doesn't seem to matter. From looking at the cheese, one would expect much worse. This is really an ugly cheese. Oh, and lovely -- I just looked at the bottom and part of what I ate was the cupcake wrapper!
Mulderbosch with Belle Chèvre from Alabama. This cheese has strong lemon tones. It is ok with the wine, but it is a little bitter. I feel like I lose some of the loveliness of the wine with this cheese. The acidities blend well, but the nice lemon and lime flavors get muddled. The wine does bring out a nutty quality in the cheese and even a fruity flavor. It's definitely ok, but not my favorite. I think I'd like this wine better with maybe the Arina goat Gouda.
Mulderbosch with Caprino Italian fresh goat cheese. I couldn't decide if I liked this or not. At first it seemed to bitter and like the wine killed the flavor of the cheese. Then, 10 minutes later, I liked it. It was ok, but not as good as some other pairings. I liked this cheese better with Lugana.
Mulderbosch with Capriole Chèvre. I like this cheese. It is fluffy and has a lot of citrus flavor. It also has nice minerals. The wine overpowers it a little bit, but the tangy flavors mesh nicely and I get some minerals in the finish. It is a little bitter, though. The textures are also nice, but the wine is heavier-bodied than the cheese. It's still very good and will serve as a nice example of citrus and mineral flavors together.
Mulderbosch with Cheddar, Grafton, 1 year. I thought I'd like this better with the Sauvignon Blanc, but no, I prefer the older Cheddar. The younger one seems a little metallic and doesn't have that strange, mellow pineapple taste that the older one did. It's ok, but doesn't really do much for me at all.
Mulderbosch with Cheddar, Grafton 4 year. Oooh, I like this. Finally something is going with this wine. Ike at Grapevine said that the wine might be vegetal enough to go with a sharp Cheddar like this, and I think he was right. It is a little bitter, but hardly at all. The cheese is already sort of bitter anyway. This is good. I do like the vegetal smell of the wine with this vegetal cheese. I can see, now, where this wine would be good with asparagus and all. The cheese is a little sweet at times. Then I taste some spices and weird fruit in the wine. The fruit must be the gooseberry, which I have smelled, but never tasted. The cheese, though strong, doesn't overpower the nice citrus flavor in the wine. In fact, I think it makes the lime stronger, which I like with that weird pineapple taste in the cheese. This is like some kind of Hawaiian pig roast with the smoke, salt, bitterness, and tropical fruit. They really blended well, especially when the wine had come to room temperature.
Mulderbosch with Cheddar, Irish Dubliner. I thought this might go since this Cheddar tends to be grassy tasting. Nice together at first, but then they taste like fish and then it's bitter.
Mulderbosch with Coach Farm soft-ripened goat cheese in the shape of a heart. At first, I liked these two together. The cheese is really salty and creamy, which seemed to go well with the strange fruit flavor in the wine and the tingly texture. Then it turned horrible together! The wine completely ruined the cheese, and then vice versa. It tastes like dirt and mold, but in a bad way. I lose all the zingy citrus in the wine and the cheese starts to taste rotten.
Mulderbosch with Dill Havarti. I was hoping this might match since the dill is so fresh-tasting. I do like these two together. The wine tones down the cream in the cheese. It's bitter on the finish. It's still alright. It is very crisp tasting. I was worried about the cream in the cheese being too much, but it's not. It's still not the best thing I've ever had. They pass. The cheese melts in your mouth and gives a dill aftertaste. Then the wine comes in with acidity. I still like the freshy grass taste in the wine with the herb.
Mulderbosch with Le Coeur d'Alvignac. This cheese is much earthier than the Coach Farms goat. It goes much better with this wine, but it's still not a great match. The cheese overpowers the wine a little bit, though I do taste the citrus at first. The goat is just too rustic for this wine. The flavor of dirt is less pronounced than with the Coach Farms since there is less mold. It's ok, but not something I would brag about. I think this wine needs a younger, not-so-moldy cheese.
Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc $10.99 at Twin Liquors. This wine is from Marlborough in New Zealand. It is very citrusy and grapefruity. I wasn't wild about it with goat cheese. It was like sprinkling hard goat cheese on a grapefruit for breakfast instead of sugar.
Patianna Sauvignon Blanc 2003 (Tasted in 2005) $15.79 at Steve's Liquors. From Mendocino in CA. 13.2% alcohol. This wine is not only grown in organic vineyards, but is also biodynamic. This Sauvignon Blanc is absolutely delicious. It was great as soon as I popped the bottle, but held up in the fridge for a couple of days. It is super crisp, bright, tingly, and minerally. It is a wonderful new world style of Sauvignon Blanc that keeps its edge. Citrus, tropical, and spice flavors. http://www.patianna.com. To get rid of pesky worms in the vineyards, they use hungry chickens (picture of them on the website) rather than pesticides. I see this wine in restaurants and wine bars all over town. It goes well with food and a variety of summer weather appetizers.
*Patianna with Fleur Verte. Herbed goat cheese from France. Even the paste, without any direct contact with herbs, tastes like rosemary and southern spices. This is perfect. The acidities blend together nicely and the herbs give the cheese a fruity flavor that complements the wine's pretty fruit. This cheese also went well with a Mâcon white Burgundy.
Patianna with Valençay Pyramide Chèvre from the Loire Valley. Creamy and light, but tasting a little bitter today (possibly because of some cross-contamination of mold -- Cheese Mistress isn't always perfect.) Nevertheless, I like these two together. I'd like to re-taste this pairing with a fresher version of this cheese.
Patianna with Vermont Butter and Cheese Co. Olive and Herb goat cheese. Very good, but there is a slight metallic taste on the finish. I lose some of the fruit in the wine with this cheese, but it's still a good match.
Saint-Bris 2002 (Tasted in 2003) $17 at Grapevine. Verget from Sologny, France. 13% alcohol. This is a Sauvignon Blanc from Burgundy, where Chardonnay is the main white grape. It is light yellow/green. I smell lemons, limes, and maybe some tart apples. It smells very crisp. This is yummy. It is more of a typical French Sauvignon Blanc. It is light, a little tingly, and has a nice finish of fresh grass. I liked the Old Vines Sancerre better alone, but for pairing, this type of Sauvignon seems to work best. It is tart, but it is not so biting as some of the French Sauvignon Blancs I have had. It feels a little bit weightier than the Sancerres. It is perfect.
Saint-Bris with Brillat-Savarin. The cheese and the wine are both from Burgundy. This cheese is salty, tangy, and very creamy. This isn't great, but it's not as bad as I expected. The Sauvignon Blanc is mellow and weighty enough to take on the cheese. I wouldn't recommend it.
Saint-Bris with Chabichou. This is very good together. This cheese is like Crottin, but younger, milder, yet with a pronounced, lingering barnyardy flavor. Together, they are spicy. The cheese is delicate and tangy, yet earthy. The wine tastes very crisp against it. I like Crottin better with this wine, but this runs a close second.
Saint-Bris with Crottin de Chavignol. Boy do I like this. It is better than the Old Vines Sancerre with the Crottin. The acidity in this wine seems to stand up best to the Crottin. I have had some trouble pairing Crottin with Sauvignon Blancs, even though it's a goat cheese. This pairing seems to work. The wine tones the cheese down a little bit. The cheese tastes a little like somebody's basement. It is musty and a little bit strong, for such a small, delicate cheese. The wine cuts right into it without losing any of the nice goat flavor of the cheese. This is good. I cannot believe I finally found a Sauvignon Blanc that I like with the Crottin. I tasted this again with a sweeter, nutty, fresh-herb tasting Crottin. It was also delicious. There is something almost cold tea tasting in this wine that goes great with the herby flavored goat cheeses. The cheese also tastes floral and slightly sweet. Nutty. The wine is fruity, but only slightly. It is still dry and has a lot of structure. It is also vegetal, but not like some of the newer world wines. The flavors really mesh. I get some nice herbs in the wine, and then I taste the savory, nutty, and almost grassy cheese. The wine is full-bodied, but also a little tart and pine-flavored.
Saint-Bris with Grafton 4 Star Cheddar. This cheese has gone with Sauvignon Blancs before, especially New World, because it is so vegetal. It is ok with this wine. It makes a woody, chocolate, burning flavor afterwards. I like the pine and wood flavor with the wine. The cheese also has an off-flavor. This works, though. I liked it better with a New World Sauvignon Blanc, though.
Saint-Bris with Pecorino Toscano 3 months. This sheep cheese is good with it, but not as good as goat. There is a hint of bitterness. I feel like the wine overpowers the cheese a little bit. It wipes out the tangy olive flavor in the cheese.
Saint-Bris with Pecorino Toscano 6 month. Nutty, salty, rustic cheese. Not so great. It is bitter and I can't say that they bring out the best in each other. I think I need less acidity in the wine. They make a boring, confused mess in your mouth.
Saint-Bris with Redwood Hill 3 Peppercorn goat cheese. This cheese is frothy and tangy, but also a little bitter because of the pepper. I thought the pepper might go with the woody, piney flavor in the wine, but no. It is weird. It is bitter and very vinegary tasting.
Saint-Bris with Selles-sur-Cher. Excellent! I love this foamy cheese with the tingly, sharp wine. They really complement each other since they both have such high acidity. Pretty typical pairing, though.
Sancerre, Roger Champault "Les Pierris" 2002 (Tasted in 2004) $23.99 at Central Market. 12.5% alcohol. On the label, it states, "Le vin sent son terroir." Fresh, crisp minerality, good balance, dry, but lush. This wine is light gold in color. It smells like apples, flowers, light vanilla, and lemons. It is very aromatic. Very crisp, super tart on the finish, but still with a lot of fruit. It is very well-balanced. I feel like I taste some oak or some malolactic fermentation. At the very end, I taste flowers, and then lemons. I may also taste some peaches. Minerality in the middle, grassy, vegetal, everything. This is really good and complex, and though it's dry, it's not so bracing as to be uncomfortable to drink.
Sancerre, Roger Champault "Les Pierris" with Capra with Honey. This is a fresh, honeyed goat cheese. It is so luscious, sweet, and nutty. Unfortunately, it is too sweet to go with this wine. It really accentuates the tartness in the wine and just kills the fruit, though I still taste the honey. I like this cheese best with Riesling.
Sancerre, Roger Champault "Les Pierris" with Pavé de Jadis. Extremely young, ashed goat cheese. Very good. The cheese gets washed away, but it's alright. This wine has more fruit than some. Maybe a less fruity Sancerre would be better with it.
Sancerre, Roger Champault "Les Pierris" with Pavé Sauvage. I really wanted this to work. The name "Sauvignon" is related to the French word "sauvage," for wild. I thought, how fun it would be to have this nice zesty, herbaceous goat paired up with my Sancerre, especially since their names had similar connotations. Unfortunately, this didn't work. The cheese seemed to have some tarragon on the outside which made the herbs taste like licorice. Overall, the combo was like the smell of dead fish. I will never do it again. Even eating the cheese only on the inside, the strong, syrupy licorice flavor is too strong for this wine. That flavor just doesn't go with the lemony acidity of the wine.
Sancerre, Roger Champault "Les Pierris" with Tomme de Ma Grand-mère, young. Delicious cheese, young, salty, tangy, but still with a lot of character. It is like a Bucheron, but a lot more interesting to eat. At first I didn't like these two together, but then when I tasted it the next day after the wine had been open and everything had warmed up, I really like this cheese with it. It is salty and tangy enough to stand up to the wine. This is perfect. The cheese is rich, goaty, and salty, but still has that nice fresh feel to it. The wine is fruity and acidic enough to stand up to it. This is what I had been looking for -- a fresh-ish cheese, but that had more oomph to go with the sharp wine. Even being kind of light, this cheese is still way more complex than the Pavé.
Sancerre, Roger Champault "Les Pierris" with Tomme de Ma Grand-mère, aged. Not so good! This cheese is super spicy and nutty, and it just makes the the acidic wine taste bitter. I also tasted this yesterday and it wasn't as good, but I think the cheese and the wine both work better together once they have warmed up.
Sancerre, Domaine de la
Rossignole "Cuvée Vieilles Vignes" 2001 (Tasted in 2002) This is an old vine
Sancerre, very crisp, clean, and delicate. The old vines contribute deeper
flavors and aromas than traditional Sancerre. $15. Sien Brown of Prestige
brought this to our tasting.
Sancerre, Domaine de la Rossignole with Selles-sur-Cher. Excellent pairing. Not too crisp for the old goat (this Selles-sur-Cher was more aged and runny.)
Sancerre, Domaine de Saint Romble 2002 (Tasted in 2004) $16.25 at Austin Wine Merchant. 12.5% alcohol. This is made in Maimbray Sury-en-Vaux (Cher) in the Loire Valley. This wine is supposed to be a big seller. It goes well with many foods. It is supposed to have good acidity, but not too much of a flint taste. It is very pale yellow in color. It smells a little grassy and vegetal. it smells very fresh. It is very acidic, a little bitter on the finish, and a little earthy tasting. I also taste some flowers and something very outdoorsy. I am tasting this for a second time. I bought this a third time, it is so good. It smells so fruity, a little like grass and litchee nuts, but not so strong. It is very aromatic. It tastes full and lush, good acidity, very nutty. Nice finish that just tapers off. I can't quit drinking it. It is really good, and while it is dry, it is still very approachable.
Sancerre, Domaine de Saint Romble with Brin d'Amour. Ike at Grapevine had recommended this pairing -- Brin d'Amour and Sauvignon Blanc. Wow, I didn't think this would work, but it is good. I have to say, I'm tasting more of the herbs on the outside of the cheese than anything. It blends well, though.
Sancerre, Domaine de Saint Romble with Cabécou. Awful! I thought and hoped these two might work together because the cheese is so cute, but no, it's really bad and bitter. It seems ok at first and then blooms into a toothpaste-and-lemonade mix.
Sancerre, Domaine de Saint Romble with Chabiquet. Fresh French goat's milk cheese. Good, but the wine is so fruity that it overpowers the cheese somewhat. It's still very good, with the acidities and the lemon flavors. I'd serve it in a tasting, but might put a stronger one alongside. It's definitely a good match. The cheese doesn't make it through the wine, though.
Sancerre, Domaine de Saint Romble with Crottin de Chavignol. This cheese is nutty at first, and then earthy and also a little sweet. It is my favorite cheese and I never can get a Sancerre to go with it. It is ok together, though I don't feel like they do a whole lot for each other. The tart wine brings out a lot of sweetness in the cheese. Actually, I take that back. I get the sweetness, and then I lose it with the tart wine. The cheese also has a little too much character for this wine. The wine ends up tasting pretty bland.
Sancerre, Domaine de Saint Romble. Sticky, lemony cheese. Good with the wine. It tastes a little like Italian Caprino. I like this together.
Sancerre, Domaine de Saint Romble with Red Pepper Chèvre from Pure Luck. This is interesting together at first, and then it's just awful! The peppers in this cheese make it taste really really bitter. I think I need a fruitier Sauvignon Blanc for this cheese. It's too wild. The fruit in the cheese (peppers) and the vinegar is interesting with the acidity of the wine, but it's really not so great of a pairing.
Sancerre, Domaine de Saint Romble with Selles sur Cher or Chèvre Rond from Jacquin. This cheese actually tastes a little like limes. Wow, this is good together. I love the two acidities. The texture of the cheese is wonderful and light. It's fluffy. The wine seems effervescent alongside it, with its tartness. Afterwards, I still taste the lime flavor in the cheese and a little of the flint in the wine. I am tasting this for the second time. This Selles Sur Cher is old and grey, but very creamy on the inside with a pronounced goat flavor. Such a good cheese -- nutty, goaty, creamy, and spicy -- but a little bitter with the wine. It's still good. I like this. I guess it should be good. After all, it is a classic pairing, though they have been wrong before. I like how the salty, nutty cheese brings out the fruit in the wine.
Sancerre, Gérard Morin "Vieilles Vignes" 2001 (Tasted in 2003) $19.29 at Grapevine. From Bué-en-Sancerre (Cher) France. Unfiltered. Yellow, almost green. I smell a little bit of mango and something that smells like candy corn. It smells a little bit buttery. Patrick smells metal. It feels a little carbonated and fizzy. It is really good! It is herbaceous. I taste some sort of herb that reminds me of pine. I taste the herbs in the finish. The only fruit I can possibly identify would be the center part of a pineapple where it is not very ripe. It has citrus, but it is not harsh citrus. Patrick got apricots, peach, and nectarines. It doesn't have as much acidity as most of the other Sancerres I have had. Light to medium-bodied wine. This is excellent.
Sancerre, Gérard Morin with Selles-sur-Cher (fresh). This is good. The wine overpowers the cheese a little bit, though. Since the wine is less acidic, I lose the tartness of the cheese. The tart cheese makes the wine taste very sweet. They are very smooth together. The cheese is almost frothy, and the wine is tingly.
Sancerre, Gérard Morin with Crottin de Chavignol. This cheese is tangy and nutty. It has a strong character, but is not overwhelming at a young age. The cheese works well with the buttery, fruity, wine, though there is some bitterness. This is ok, though. The goat may be a little too dark for this light wine. It's not bad. It's just a very robust cheese. I was hoping the old vines, having more of a concentrated flavor would be better for it. It was, but still is not perfect like Selles-sur-Cher.
Sancerre, Gérard Morin with Brin d'Amour. Oooh, this is a little crazy. It is kind of interesting with the wine. It is a little bitter at the end. I don't know what to make of it. It is interesting. I liked the herbs together, but then it just started to act crazy in my mouth. The cheese alone is a little bitter, and when I put the wine with it, it increased. I read on another site to pair it with rustic whites and reds, like maybe a Rhône red, a Rioja, or a Nebbiolo.
Sancerre, Gérard Morin with Humboldt Fog. Yuck! This is just awful, and I love this cheese so much. It is putrid, bitter, moldy, and dirty tasting. It tasted good for about 2 seconds and then turned on me. I don't think that a mushroomy, soft-ripened cheese is good with this tart wine.
Sancerre, Gérard Morin with St. Nectaire. This is a very mild washed rind cheese from France. It is creamy, beefy, and a little bitter. It's not so bad, but really doesn't go with the Sancerre.
Sancerre La Reine Blance by Jean Reverdy, 2002 (Tasted in 2003) It is from the Domaine des Villots in Verdigny. $19.99 at Grapevine. 12.5% alcohol. The guy at Grapevine said that he had been to this area of France and everybody is named Reverdy and that they are inbred. There are too different Reverdy wines that I have tried from the same area, but not the same Reverdy. This one is La Reine Blanche, which means "The White Queen." I bought this Sancerre to compare with an Italian Sauvignon Blanc and the Burgundy Sauvignon Blanc Saint-Bris. The Sancerre was much much crisper and more biting. The Saint-Bris seemed heavier and more mellow, but still had great acidity for the cheese. The Italian wine was also good, but definitely tasted like a hotter climate.
Sancerre La Reine Blanche with Crottin de Chavignol. This was ok, but not great. Again, the cheese was too nutty and assertive for this wine. The wine is too tart. The cheese is too goaty.
Sancerre La Reine Blanch and Garrotxa hard
goat cheese. Crisp with a little
creaminess. They complement each
other well. Delicious.
Sancerre La Reine Blanche and
Parrano. The wine does well
with the aged gouda, but the cheese is a little overpowering for it.
Sancerre La Reine Blanche and P’tit
Basque. It is decent, but not
great. Both wine and cheese are
fairly versatile. It works ok.
Sancerre La Reine Blanche and Rocamadour
aged soft goat cheese. Awful!
Horrible bitterness. This
cheese is difficult with a lot of wines, though.
Sancerre La Reine Blanche and
Selles-sur-Cher. Perfect, crisp, and creamy.
The wine tones down the muskiness of the cheese.
This is a classic, textbook pairing and I can see why.
Sancerre, Reverdy, 2002 (Tasted in 2003) Loire Valley, France. $19 at Grapevine. This wine has zesty acidity. It is tart, tangy, grassy, and minerally. It has a wild, tangy smell. The vineyards of Sancerre are spread over chalky limestone and flint hills, hence the mineral flavors. Not aged in oak, but steel. This wine was delicious. This is not the same person who makes the Reine Blanche, though the name Reverdy is the same.
Sancerre, Reverdy with Selles-Sur-Cher. I felt like this wine was a little tart for the goat cheese. The younger Selles-Sur-Cher was good with it, though sometimes I felt like the wine was so tart that it wiped out the goat flavor. It was still very good. The older Selles-Sur-Cher was a little too musty for the wine. It had lost its citrus quality and they weren't quite as good together.
Sancerre, Reverdy with Crottin de Chavignol. This cheese has way too much nuttiness and not enough citrus in it for this wine.
Santa Rita Sauvignon Blanc 2002 (Tasted in 2004) From the Lontue Valley in Chile. $5.99 at Central Market. This was imported by Vineyard Brands from Birmingham. It is called 120 because during Chile's struggle for independence in 1814 from Spain, 120 patriots found refuge in the wine cellars of Santa Rita. The bottle says that this wine is crisp, fresh, and dry, with a fine balance of fruit accompanied by good acidity. It offers a clean, long, lingering finish.
Spicewood Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc from the Texas Hill Country 2001 (Tasted in 2004) $9.99 at Grapevine. 13.5% alcohol. "Our Sauvignon Blanc 2001 continues the Spicewood tradition of crisp, fruity Sauvignon Blanc with a long, lingering finish. Our vineyard produces Sauvignon Blanc with great flavors of gooseberry and grapefruit, and the addition of 5% estate Semillon and 1% estate Muscat gives additional complexity. The 2001 Sauvignon Blanc was fermented entirely in stainless steel, and stirred in the tank to create the silky finish. This wine pairs nicely with spicy dishes, light fish and chicken dishes, and chevre goat cheese." The guy at Grapevine recommended this one over the others. Later, I met some people who work at Spicewoods. They said that this is their best-selling wine, and that it would go well with herbed goat cheese. It is yellow and bright. It tastes floral to me. It is fruity and complex. The finish is definitely floral. Some gooseberry flavors, but also something slightly tropical and perfumy. It tastes alcoholic. The wine is made by Ed and Madeleine Marigold in the Hill Country in Central Texas. http://www.spicewoodvineyards.com.
Spicewood Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2001 with Mixed Herb Goat Cheese from Pure Luck. This is good together. The cheese is salty and tangy with this wine. I like the way that the wild, flowery fruit in the wine blends in with the herbed cheese. This is a big mouthful of crazy flavors, but it works. Together, they are fresh, nutty, and wild. It is very Texas. I'd like to try this again sometime.
Sterling North Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2002 (Tasted in 2004) About $13. 13% alcohol. Mostly Sauvignon Blanc, but 3.5% Pinot Gris. Minerals, menthol, maybe a little wood, though I'm sure it wasn't aged in wood, tropical and citrus, lemon, bitter fruit like mango and kiwi, lemon. Good on the beach. The website's description is: "Bright pale straw in color. Aromatics of peaches, nectarines, melons and grapefruit, with hints of lemongrass, mint, kiwi and slate. On the palate the wine is pleasingly full with ripe, crisp, fruit and balanced acidity." http://www.sterlingvineyards.com This comes mostly from Napa Valley, Mendocino, and Monterey. The Napa Valley is the warmer part, so it contributes to the apricots, melons, and figs, while the cooler climate grapes contribute to the aggressive undercurrent of spice and firm acidity. There is some Pinot Gris blended in. It turns out it was barrel-aged. 40% of the wine blended had completed malo-lactic fermentation, so it smoothed out the acidity. Bullfrog brought this over.
Sterling North Coast Sauvignon Blanc with Comté. This was the only cheese I had in the fridge. I didn't think they would go together, but they did. In fact, it was great together. The cheese is milky and creamy. I liked the tropical fruit with the creamy, earthy flavors. The bitterness of the kiwi in the wine was nice with the lush cheese. I had no idea this would work. I don't think the cheese would have done well with a French Sauvignon Blanc, though. I think the wood aging made the difference.
Urbane Sauvignon Blanc, B&E Negociants 2002 (Tasted in 2004) $6.99 at Grapevine. 13% alcohol. This is made in the Western cape in South Africa. I have had their Shiraz and it was good, especially for this price. It has a little of the gooseberry smell. It smells crisp and tart. It is yellow-white in color. It is not as smooth as the Mulderbosch -- it has a little bit of a bite in the aftertaste -- but it is still good. It is lightly effervescent and very acidic with some fruit in the finish. It is grassy, tart, and a little bitter. It may taste a little like limes. I don't taste a lot of fruit.
Urbane Sauvignon Blanc with Bucheret soft-ripened goat's cheese from Redwood Hill. This cheese tastes very French. I am trying this because it is in the fridge. Awful together! Tastes like walking into a tire shop. This is just bad and bitter and synthetic tasting together.
Urbane Sauvignon Blanc with Grafton Cheddar, 1 year. I thought this Cheddar was a little bitter and grassy, so I thought these might go well together. Whoa, this is way too bitter. This cheese tastes weird and woody. It's actually ok with the cheese, but they don't really blend or do much for each other. This cheese is too bitter.
Urbane Sauvignon Blanc with Grafton Cheddar, 4 year. This cheese is suave. It is sharp with some flavors of citrus. For a sharp, aged cheese, it is so smooth. With the wine, it's very nice. The cheese makes the wine taste a little sweeter and I also get more fruit out of it. I think I had liked this with the Mulderbosch as well. This cheese seems to go with everything.
Venica Ronco del Cerò, Collio 2001 (Tasted in 2003) $24.99 at Grapevine. 13.5% alcohol. DOC wine. This is bottled in Venica, Friuli, in northeastern Italy. The land is hilly where the grapes grow. The estate has been owned by the Cerò family since 1929. The grandfather of the current owners founded the Venica tradition. 55 acres of vineyards. The climate is favorable -- warm in the day from the Adriatic Sea, and cool at night from the Alpine winds from the north. The grapes are gently pressed to maintain the round perfume. The grapes macerate for 18 hours. It is supposed to have a bouquet of intense peach and pepper, and its rich fruitiness is balanced with dryness. It is supposed to go with poultry, fish, and pasta dishes. It does smell very fruity and peachy. The smell is very strong. Delicious! This is a wine I'd like to just drink by itself, no cheese. It has good acidity. It tastes of fruit and flowers, and maybe even honey. The aftertaste is a little bitter. It is really interesting. It's not like any other Sauvignon Blanc I've had. It isn't so crisp as the French ones, and it is not as citrusy fruity as the New Zealand ones. It is definitely a sunny Sauvignon Blanc. I love this wine!
Venica Ronco del Cerò, Collio with Buche des Causses. This is such a great cheese with such a great wine, but I don't like them together so much. They are ok, but the soft-ripened rind makes a horrible bitter taste with the acidity in the wine. I keep the fruit, but lose everything I like about the cheese.
*Venica Ronco del Cerò, Collio with Chabichou. I liked this much better than the Crottin with it and I don't know why. Maybe because it is a little creamier and more subtle, in spite of its strong country taste. The acidity in this cheese balances well with the wine. I don't lose the fruit of the wine or the goat in the cheese. This cheese is so smooth and mellow, but flavorful. The wine is so fresh. I taste grass and animals in the cheese, and it goes well with the sunny countryside flavors in the wine. Excellent combo.
Venica Ronco del Cerò, Collio with Crottin de Chavignol. My favorite cheese, but it is not good with this wine. It's not the end of the world, but they don't do anything for each other. The wine is too fruity for the cheese. The cheese tastes rotten with the wine and the fruit in the wine disappears, along with the nuttiness of the cheese. Darn. I think this cheese is just too robust for this wine. It makes a vomit aftertaste. It also may be too salty. It's flavor is much more pronounced, tangier, saltier, almost spicier.
Venica Ronco del Cerò, Collio with Valençay Pyramide. Creamy, smooth, tangy goat cheese. Good! Then again, every Sauvignon Blanc seems to go with the younger Pyramides. The wine brings out the citrus in the cheese, and the cheese tames the crazy fruit in the wine and shows off its acidity.
Vin de Pays d'Oc "Fumées Blanches" 2001 (Tasted in 2003) $7.99 at Wiggy's. 13% alcohol. From France. A little like grapefruit, but sharper. It has a sharp aftertaste like grapefruit. Fresh, floral, sharp, slightly bitter finish, vague, slightly citrusy. It is better and smoother when you roll it around on the tongue. Not too short of a finish.
Vin de Pays d'Oc "Fumées Blanches" with Pure Luck Red Pepper Frensh Goat Cheese. It doesn't work so great. The cheese is too creamy and not chalky enough for this wine. The wine needs a cheese with more of a mineral quality to it. The cheese needs to be flakier and chalkier with this wine.