This last week I worked my way through two very different bottles of Sauvignon Blanc.
The first was another Chilean, a 2009 Hacienda Araucano Reserve from Chile's Central Valley. I think I found it at Whole Foods in the $10-12 range.
I picked up a citrusy note in the nose, but it wasn't the usual SB citrus. I couldn't quite place it. I also got the usual grassy overtones. (Is that a mixed metaphor, having overtones in an odor?)
The flavor was very 'grapey' and citrusy, perhaps a little more on the acidic side. There weren't great subtleties of flavor, but it wasn't a bad wine.
The second one is a 2009 Boneterra Vineyards made with 54% organic grapes from Lake County, CA, and 46% from Mendocino County. I guess if you use organic grapes, you can get your percentages more precise.
I didn't make any notes while I was drinking this, but it seemed to be more 'full bodied' than most of the SBs I've drunk this summer. One or two of them have been pretty close to water on my tongue; this one was closer to a lighter red wine.
The notes in the wine were just average, nothing particularly outstanding although the flavors were good. I did pick up a note that reminded me of lemongrass. The label says gooseberry, kiwi, and honeydew, so I was close, I think. I haven't been blown over by the California SBs I've drunk this summer, but this is one to try.