De Bortoli Emeri Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc NV
Diam, $16
There are, to my knowledge, only three sparkling Savvies produced in Australian and NZ – This is the third one. Its quite a bizarre wine (nothing like a Loire cremant either), but I can see the rationale behind it – Take early picked Sauvignon Blanc and add bubbles: Sauvignon Blanc is very popular, cheap bubblies are very popular. Hence a sparkling Sauvignon Blanc must be very very popular!
A greeny blue bottle & a almost translucent green colour (of the wine that is) make this a strikingly presented sparkling (Smart marketing department at work). It has almost no bead to speak of, suggesting that it was probably made via the tank method. On the nose it is ripe Savvy fruits on a patch of grass – think passionfruit, a slice of mango even, following through onto a surprisingly sprightly palate which is dry and quite acid driven, with lingering grassy acidity on the back palate.
This is actually quite a clever wine – the winemaking is first rate, the base Sauvignon at this wines core would probably rate quite well at the $15 mark. The question here is whether the market can get its head around what is essentially a dry Sauvignon Blanc with bubbles. Personally I like the concept, appreciate the winemaking, but could never see myself actually drinking it – but I think that as a twentysomething wine wanker, I’m hardly the target market. My sister however…..
16.5 for the wine, 18.8 for the idea
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Interesting note. I had a similar reaction to the Mount Riley Savée, which was pleasant enough on its own terms but which, as a style, seemed neither here nor there. I’m curious to know how the market reacts to these wines.