Jason’s Wine Blog

Price: $6.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Americal Beverage Group

What They Said:

Per 2guysuncorked and I’ll go with Ted on this one…”This is probably the best sauvignon blanc I’ve had that is under $10. On the nose it’s bursting with citrus and fruity notes and it finishes with crisp acidity, that lingers just a bit as it reveals a slightly grassy finish. It would go great with some spicy food dishes, and it even holds up well to some spicy mango chicken I made to go with it.”

What I Think:

As many of you know I am a big fan of Sauvignon Blanc, especially from New Zealand. This one is completely typical of the Kiwi offering and in this case it is a good thing. It had the nice pale color, a nose of grapefruit and grassy aromas. On the palate you are greeted with a crisp flavorless start leading to floral and mineral undertones followed by a tangy and tingly lemon finish. Gooseberry is omnipresent throughout. We had this one with a salmon salad which was a perfect pairing. Thinking this is better than the Kono (and cheaper). Better than the Geyser Peak? Not sure but who cares, this Sauvignon Blanc trio at Trader Joe’s is one of the best deals going. Pick any of the three and you can’t go wrong. Better yet, get them all and let me know which is your favorite.

Rating: Buy It

Price: $7.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Kiwi Distributing

What They Said:

Per the winery “The 2005 KONO Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has a lifted medley of white currant, citrus and gooseberry flavours, with mineral notes. The palate is crisp and vibrant with easy drinking appeal and abundant varietal flavours that linger on the finish. It has a mid-straw colour with lemon and lime tones.”

What I Think:

Another repeat as I was a fan of this Kono Sauvignon Blanc and picked up a few more bottles a while back. I am guessing the glamour of being a Parker-like critic comes in when you give them some good ink and they thank you with a case or two of wine. The only person thanking me is the clerk at Trader Joe’s as I sign yet another credit card receipt.

As always this was a little too cold to start. After some time for thawing this wine shows it is crisp and fresh with familiar but unidentifiable aromas of fruit and flowers overlaid on what seems to be a very racy backbone. I’ve never had a gooseberry but I am almost willing to bet this is it. It starts tart on the first touch of the tongue leading to berry like flavors intermixed with floral elements on the tongue before wrapping up with a zingy, lemony, lip smacking finish.

I was slightly let down by this bottle. That said my expectations given my last experience were extremely high. Could it be that I didn’t have it with food to balance the mineral acidity? Either way, I am a little more open to trying the other New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc’s. I think it is time to see if this one is up to the challenge. That said if you don’t want to be disappointed, this is an extremely safe bet.

Rating: Buy It

Price: $7.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Kiwi Distributing

What They Said:

Per the winery “The 2005 KONO Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has a lifted medley of white currant, citrus and gooseberry flavours, with mineral notes. The palate is crisp and vibrant with easy drinking appeal and abundant varietal flavours that linger on the finish. It has a mid-straw colour with lemon and lime tones.”

What I Think:

Kono is a Maori owned family brand in the retail market. It means ‘food basket’ is a traditional Maori woven basket used to carry, protect and present produce. Anyone know why they use all caps?

I drank this wine over a couple of days and the temperature played a large role in my impressions. When it was too cold the flavors were suppressed. I have heard from multiple wine maker’s, for both red and whites, that this is the most important aspect when serving/tasting wine. I intend to focus on this moving forward and you should to. Perhaps a tasting tips section to this blog would make sense.

This is a wine that I would call zingy, you get lemon overlaid on top of mineral. I think I am general when I am saying minerally that is one area where I will try to be more specific moving forward. As the lemon fades the mineral comes to the front. This is a very nice wine, though I am prone to liking sauvignon blanc so maybe you should take it with a grain of salt.

Rating: Buy It