Saturday, March 25, 2023

Two Traditional, Disappointing White Wines

 Remember buttery Chardonnays? White wine is quite susceptible to different winemaking techniques. I recently tasted two mainstream varieties, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Riesling, which reminded me how these wines used to taste in the ‘old days’. Passionate wine drinkers have moved on, and so have leading producers.

The first was the Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough. Immediately, the palate gets attacked by grassy and gooseberry flavours. They are so strong, it is irrelevant that otherwise the wine is well made.

Score: 85/—

Gunderloch is highly regarded for their sweet and late harvest wines, such as Trockenbeerenauslese. The entry level is the Gunderloch Fritz Riesling. This wine is slightly sweet, but the main issue here is the lack of structure. The wine sits slightly round in the mouth, not moving down the palate. It is neither refreshing nor delicate.

Score: 85/—

No comments: