I do have a habit of reviewing wines several times if I like them. This one is no exception.
While I reviewed this SB a few weeks ago, I found that I had to do it again. The 2017 Desparada Sauvignon Blanc is absolutely stunning. The first time that I had it, it was very flowery on the nose with good acidity and atypical Sauvignon Blanc flavors and aromas. Not too long after that, I reviewed it when I shared a bottle with friends. They were wildly confused over the type of wine it was, but they all liked it. It was delicious with decided Old World character, but with New World fruitiness and fragrances that had everyone stumped.
I decided to review this wine again, mainly because I was at home and I had a particular dish that I wanted to pair with it. My dish was a grilled romaine salad. Actually, to be truthful, it wasn’t really grilled so much as fried, actually. Slice heads of romaine in half, place in a hot cast iron frying pan that has just a touch of olive oil, and let sizzle. How brown you want it is up to you, but when you take it out of the pan, be sure to cut it into edible pieces, drizzle with fresh lemon and a sprinkling of sea salt (or kosher flake salt, which is my favorite), and enjoy! Add your favorite veggies or other ingredients such as chicken breast, and you have a complete meal. Unfortunately, when I started eating it, it was so delicious that I neglected to take a photo!
But I digress. Let’s talk about this fabulous wine and how it has evolved in the couple of months that I’ve had it. When I opened up the bottle tonight and poured it into the glass, there are a few things I noticed that I forgot to mention in my previous review. One was that it is very viscous and heavy in the glass. That is pretty atypical for a Sauvignon Blanc, but I had to mention it. In addition, it is not a “clear and bright” Sauvignon Blanc. Quite the contrary; it has an unfined and unfiltered appearance about it as well as, in certain lights, it almost looks opalescent. I can’t seem to capture the opalescent character in the camera.
Okay. iPhone. Whatever.
In other words, it has a beauty that you very rarely see in a glass of any type of white wine. The nose is evolving toward a more typical Sauvignon Blanc. It has dried grapefruit peel, gooseberry, lemon and lime, a touch of Jasmine and maybe just a bit of gardenia. While I did not pick up any kind of “cat pee” before, I’m pretty sure I detected just a bit of it this time. On the palate, the influence from the Acacia wood really expresses itself. It is actually floral on the palate. There is also a touch of honey, vanilla, jasmine, honeysuckle, kumquat, gooseberry, and the ever-present grapefruit peel. I’m pretty sure that the woods that are used in this vintage – French oak and Acacia (61%) – add to its luxurious, sensual lumbering around the glass and the opulent mouthfeel on the palate. This wine is more than just a “pop and pour” Sauvignon Blanc. It is sensual, luxurious, fragrant, and very delicious.
Locally, you can find it at Khoury’s Fine Wine and Spirits in Henderson, or contact them directly at the winery. You have to try this wine!
