It VOSS meant to be!
Written: Jan 19 '00 (Updated Jan 20 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: I have not been this excited about a wine (or anything else, for that sad matter), in eons!
Cons: HUH? Did you read my review yet?
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| Leah's Full Review: Voss Sauvignon Blanc 1998 |
I have been on the lookout for this Voss Sauvignon Blanc for two vintages now. When I saw it on a local liquor store shelf, my right hand was already extended before my brain even sent the "REACH, GRAB" signal. The Wine Spectator loves this wine, and as I have stated elsewhere, I find no shame in admitting that I read the magazine, and I do look for wines that they highly rate and recommend. They gave the Voss 1997 Sauvignon Blanc a 91 score (out of 100), and this 1998 received a 90.
The Voss Estate Vineyard is in the Rutherford Region of Napa Valley, tightly snuggled between St. Helena and Oakville. This area is "up valley" from Napa proper, and cradles some of the most lush and desirous vineyard land in the valley. Again, my usual apologies apply when my efforts to more fully research a wine and winery fail, but it seems to me, based upon the label alone, that Voss may specialize in this Sauvignon Blanc varietal. 12 estate vineyard acres are planted to Sauvignon Blanc grapes, clearly allowing the vineyard manager and winemaker to tend to each and every vine with the utmost of devotion and TLC.
And, man oh man, does it taste like it! I like a lot of wines, and I dislike a lot of wines, but I don't often proclaim, after the very first sip: "I LOVE THIS WINE!" It's such a rewarding and joyous moment to find a wine that totally embraces everything I seek in the specific grape or blend. At the risk of waxing way too romantic and metaphorically for a moment: it's like walking out of the theatre into the crisp night air after seeing the perfect movie; listening to the closing strains of the perfect CD; reading the last word on the last page of the perfect book; meeting the perfect life partner for the first time, in person. There is such a coming together, a blending, a weaving of all forces; you just KNOW that the whole is truly greater than the sum of the parts. In a word: synergy.
OK, back to the actual wine. (Sorry for the digression. Did I say I love this wine?) The very palest of light straw colors in the glass; deceptively slight and understated in coloration. On the nose: total, typical, 100% thoroughly, Sauvignon Blanc. You will find the ripest of grapefruit and lemon, grass, hay and herbs, all so perfectly, elegantly, but powerfully, dancing together in step. No insipid, awkward, shy, or standing against the wall, confusing nose here. You know exactly what you are in for. I have seen several sets of tasting notes on this wine that find passion fruit and gooseberry on the nose. Since I have no clue what either of these fruits actually smells like, I can only take those components on faith and pass them along for your consideration.
The taste holds all the promise of the nose - times ten! Can I tell you how much I love the intense fruit flavors here, the lingering and ultra-refreshing acids, and the deep and complex finish? This is what I view as a very dangerous wine. Every sip is as good as, if not better than, the previous. I could easily be "ummm...ummmm...ummmm!!!" ing my way right through the whole bottle in record time. (Research! Research!) I must confess, in the interest of full disclosure, I am half way through this Godsend as I write this, and still, with each sip, I utter:"ummm, ummm".
Needless to say, this wine is an absolute delight all alone as an aperitif, (and as a date). What food would I NOT pair it with, would be a better question than what to enjoy it with. I might not serve it with ratatouille, Yankee Pot Roast, or a hot fudge cake, but I don't eat those dishes anyway. Everything else should be just fine.
I feel it appropriate to quote both the winery's label and the Spectator here, since there is no point in me paraphrasing something, in an effort to sound unique and original, when they have both described this wine so succinctly and perfectly:
Voss asserts, on the label, that their wine is: "complex, distinctive, and approachable".
The Spectator calls the 1998 Sauvignon Blanc: "Delicious and Fun. Drink Now".
DRINK NOW, Indeed!
I plan to find a whole case of this somewhere and sock it away for special moments, like days of the week that end in "Y", perhaps.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Leah
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: laura winzeler
Reviews written: 308
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"Respect the delicate ecology of your delusions."
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