Mad Fish Sauvignon Blanc
Wine: Mad Fish Sauvignon Blanc
Grape: Sauvignon blanc
Region: Western Australia
Vintage: 2005
Price: $8.99
In the glass: Mad Fish Sauvignon Blanc is a lovely, crisp golden-citrine yellow with a clean, clear appearance and star-bright core going out into a clear, bright rim definition with moderate viscosity.
On the nose: There are interesting forward bread-dough characteristics, almost like you find in champagne, but without the fizz. There's also kiwi fruit juice, golden delicious apples, freshly sliced pineapple, citrus zest and a wonderful chalky mineral character with underlying stone fruit.
On the palate: The wine reveals a complex array of flavors, with candied apples, apricot pits, star fruit, white fruit meat, pear juice, soft cantaloupe melon and toasty citrus notes. Superbly delineated, this wine has backbone and a classically balanced midpalate revealing citrus and soft-toned, crushed Rainier cherries. The finish is immense for this type of wine and really makes an impression with its balance and softness.
Odds and ends: This is not your average sauvignon blanc, and at less than half the price of most New Zealand competitors, it is a good buy. This crisp wine needs to be served with something in the shellfish department, such as oysters or little-neck clams. Serve it chilled to 52 degrees Fahrenheit. Drink Mad Fish Sauvignon Blanc now through 2009.
Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.
