Just opened this bottle, after way too long. Bought it in February 2011, just after a trip to Cape Town. Forgot it was in cold storage in my cellar. Survived nicely. Citrusy, green apple nose. Straw, golden yellow color. Slightly tart, dry taste. All in all, quite nice for an overaged SB.
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89-90 this is drinking great. This has more schisty, saline, quartzy element. Becoming slightly more secondary and better. This is a great showing for a non loire sauv blanc.
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This was drinking great. More secodary nuance developing. More chalk and minerals and more savory I may hold some bottles a year or two and see what happens.
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This bottle was very nice. A great balance between fruit and mineral. This beats most sauv blancs hands down. Slightly better than the last bottle, which may have had some bottle shock. This one was nicely savory.
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Pale straw with some greenish tinge, fresh aroma of tropical fruits and cut grass. Nice fruity palate with stone fruits and hints of smoke. It has bright acidity and clean finish. It is indeed a Good alternative to NZ SB.
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Really nice balance. A bit of new zealand on the attack, but more pouilly fume after that with some nice minerality. The finish makes the wine. Better after a bit of air, but better night 1 than night 2. Hard not to like this even if a bit understated.
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Pale yellow with greenish hue. Slightly reductive at first, which blew off. Citrusy nose with some gooseberries, nettle, pepper and chalk. Dry and crispy mid-weight palate with grapefruit, lime, nettle and profound minerality. Mid-length. Not heavy on the fruit, but no pyrazine bomb either. Very nice classic and balanced SB. Paired well with shrimp caesar's salad.
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Aromatic grassy notes; gooseberry, not in your face and candied, but present; good medium body for sauv. blanc, well balanced, not overtly candy; I loved the just right flavors, body, and fruit to mineral to aromatic balance.
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Really excellent balance. Nice fruit balanced by seashells, minerals, chalk. Firm acidity, but not over the top. This reminds me of a Sauv blanc for Chablis lovers. This has a bit of New Zealand, a bit of CA sauv Blanc, and a bit of Loire in a more Chablis-like style. Big fan. This puts most Sauv Blancs to shame in terms of balance and complexity. 90+. Needs a few minutes of air and don't serve too cold. I will buy more.
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A bit very light one. Maybe I expected a stronger style, because the wine bottle is such a monster. Anyway still good quality. Nice grass and lemon flavours combined with a strong acid.
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South African New Releases (Beltramo's in Menlo Park, California): Light yellow color with slight greenish tinge; lemon grass, gooseberry, mineral, lime peel nose; lemon grass, gooseberry, lime palate, solid and flavorful; medium finish (with 3.5% Semillon; Sauvignon kept on fine lees for 3.5 mos.)
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big citrus nose; full acidity with nice minerality; pear and green fruit; fairly complex; a pop and pour that should play well with any spicy food; good QPR l
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I want to say that I liked it more than I do. It's very mild, and not so crisp. Floral, but not strong enough to stand up to flavorful food. Still, maybe for cheese. Would buy again, but probably not as highlight to a meal.
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A very drinkable Sauvignon Blanc. Pretty acidic but food toned that that down. Nice minerality and "green" fruit notes. Sold to me as the store's number 1 selling SB in 2009. I can see why.
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3/8/2015 - dustinkirkland wrote: 87 Points
Just opened this bottle, after way too long. Bought it in February 2011, just after a trip to Cape Town. Forgot it was in cold storage in my cellar. Survived nicely. Citrusy, green apple nose. Straw, golden yellow color. Slightly tart, dry taste. All in all, quite nice for an overaged SB.
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11/5/2011 - winegr wrote: 90 Points
89-90 this is drinking great. This has more schisty, saline, quartzy element. Becoming slightly more secondary and better. This is a great showing for a non loire sauv blanc.
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10/2/2011 - winegr wrote: 89 Points
This was drinking great. More secodary nuance developing. More chalk and minerals and more savory I may hold some bottles a year or two and see what happens.
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9/12/2011 - Vsansone wrote: 85 Points
Very pleasant. Not as grapefruit toward as Chilean SB, and its citrus is very well balanced. Nice drink
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8/20/2011 - winegr wrote: 89 Points
- Light gold color - Nice wine. Maybe more schisty than before. Nice chalkiness.
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7/7/2011 - winegr wrote: 89 Points
Nice as always. Not hard to like this. Better than a vast majority of sauv blancs out there.
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6/17/2011 - winegr wrote: 90 Points
The last bottle was very good. Savory and balanced,
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5/26/2011 - winegr wrote: 89 Points
Still very nice. This is well balanced. A bit of Ca, a bit of SA, a bit of loire. Letmit warm in the glass and air a bit..
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5/3/2011 - winegr wrote: 89 Points
This bottle was very nice. A great balance between fruit and mineral. This beats most sauv blancs hands down. Slightly better than the last bottle, which may have had some bottle shock. This one was nicely savory.
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4/24/2011 - winegr wrote: 88 Points
I didn't get the overt minerality this bottle. This was more like a well balanced sauv blanc with a little less personality.
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4/17/2011 - hkm520240 wrote: 89 Points
Pale straw with some greenish tinge, fresh aroma of tropical fruits and cut grass. Nice fruity palate with stone fruits and hints of smoke. It has bright acidity and clean finish. It is indeed a Good alternative to NZ SB.
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4/15/2011 - winegr wrote: 89 Points
Really nice balance. A bit of new zealand on the attack, but more pouilly fume after that with some nice minerality. The finish makes the wine. Better after a bit of air, but better night 1 than night 2. Hard not to like this even if a bit understated.
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3/30/2011 - Robert Pavlovich wrote: 88 Points
Clean, crisp, good acidity. Not much complexity, but an enjoyable clean white.
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2/26/2011 - avp wrote:
Pale yellow with greenish hue. Slightly reductive at first, which blew off.
Citrusy nose with some gooseberries, nettle, pepper and chalk.
Dry and crispy mid-weight palate with grapefruit, lime, nettle and profound minerality. Mid-length.
Not heavy on the fruit, but no pyrazine bomb either. Very nice classic and balanced SB. Paired well with shrimp caesar's salad.
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10/23/2010 - jtt300 wrote: 87 Points
some citrus and grassy
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10/19/2010 - Aggiediver wrote: 86 Points
Good balance between the flavor of NZ and CA sauvignon blancs.
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10/16/2010 - austincarty wrote: 80 Points
Not a faulty wine. Just very thin and unappealing. A disappointment from this otherwise excellent producer.
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10/6/2010 - peternelson wrote: 89 Points
Aromatic grassy notes; gooseberry, not in your face and candied, but present; good medium body for sauv. blanc, well balanced, not overtly candy; I loved the just right flavors, body, and fruit to mineral to aromatic balance.
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8/20/2010 - winegr wrote: 90 Points
Really excellent balance. Nice fruit balanced by seashells, minerals, chalk. Firm acidity, but not over the top. This reminds me of a Sauv blanc for Chablis lovers. This has a bit of New Zealand, a bit of CA sauv Blanc, and a bit of Loire in a more Chablis-like style. Big fan. This puts most Sauv Blancs to shame in terms of balance and complexity. 90+. Needs a few minutes of air and don't serve too cold. I will buy more.
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8/15/2010 - ToddR911 wrote: 90 Points
Nice, crisp. Flavorful with grapefruit, apples, and peaches. Went very nicely with our greek fish entree.
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7/18/2010 - M.Batard wrote: 89 Points
Citrus nose, don't get the grassiness. Clean and balanced on the palate, with hints of grapefruit and ? Very nice.
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6/14/2010 - Oh Dae-su wrote: 85 Points
A bit very light one. Maybe I expected a stronger style, because the wine bottle is such a monster. Anyway still good quality. Nice grass and lemon flavours combined with a strong acid.
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6/10/2010 - Alitt177 wrote: 86 Points
Grass and citrus on the nose. Citrus fruit on the palate with nice zippy acidity. Light and simple, but very pleasant.
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5/13/2010 - wgb wrote: 88 Points
just a fun bottle;clean minerality; full of citrus; well balanced acidity that stands up to anything spicey; easy drinker; great QPR
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4/28/2010 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
San Francisco WSET South Africa new releases tasting (David's house, San Francisco, CA): Light yellow color; grapefruit, lemon grass, banana nose; tart lemon, grapefruit, banana palate with medium acidity; medium finish (with 3.5% Semillon)
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4/4/2010 - buddy22 wrote: 88 Points
A nicely balanced and refreshing wine to drink on a warm summer day.
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3/17/2010 - wgb wrote: 88 Points
wonderful balance of fairly complex acidity and minerality; full dry citrus plate; warm wet finish; wonderful with scrimp scampi
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2/6/2010 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 89 Points
South African New Releases (Beltramo's in Menlo Park, California): Light yellow color with slight greenish tinge; lemon grass, gooseberry, mineral, lime peel nose; lemon grass, gooseberry, lime palate, solid and flavorful; medium finish (with 3.5% Semillon; Sauvignon kept on fine lees for 3.5 mos.)
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2/3/2010 - wgb wrote: 90 Points
big citrus nose; full acidity with nice minerality; pear and green fruit; fairly complex; a pop and pour that should play well with any spicy food; good QPR l
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1/23/2010 - wgb wrote: 88 Points
big and fresh a very drinkable Sav Blanc; stood down spicy gumbo with a crisp, satisfying finish
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1/11/2010 - 1512tnw wrote: 83 Points
I want to say that I liked it more than I do. It's very mild, and not so crisp. Floral, but not strong enough to stand up to flavorful food. Still, maybe for cheese. Would buy again, but probably not as highlight to a meal.
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1/2/2010 - buddy22 wrote: 88 Points
A very drinkable Sauvignon Blanc. Pretty acidic but food toned that that down. Nice minerality and "green" fruit notes. Sold to me as the store's number 1 selling SB in 2009. I can see why.
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