Wednesday, February 16, 2005
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WINE OF THE WEEK: Monkey Bay strong example of sauvignon blanc from New Zealand

Monkey Bay is the name of a smaller bay within the larger, more famous Cloudy Bay on the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island. It also is the name of the Nobilo Wine Group's newest addition to its famous lineup of white wines from this area.

The fruit for this wine comes from 4-year-old vines in the vast Rarangi vineyard. The cold-climate growing conditions there, with the sunny and dry maritime weather, make for perfectly ripened sauvignon blanc fruit, bearing all the characteristics of this area.

You will rarely find a sauvignon blanc from New Zealand for less than $10 in any market, so this one at just less than $8 is an absolute steal.

In the glass, this Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc shows a faint greenish citrine-yellow color with light streaks, a fine clean translucent appearance with light citrine to glass-clear rim definition and medium viscosity.

On the nose, this highly concentrated and aromatic wine has loads of northern gooseberries, crushed white currants, stone fruit, fresh lime rind, winter melon and some floral characteristics, with underlying chalky minerals and hints of pear spritz.

In the mouth, the wine is highly nuanced with concentrated crushed gooseberry, sweetish white currants, fresh Granny Smith apples, pear sparkler and zesty green melon. The midpalate has soft balanced white fruit and apple sauce that just manages to even out the lively acidity, making this a truly great sauvignon blanc from the finest area for the grape varietal in the New World.

With its synthetic stopper, you can drink this wine over a week by "re-corking" the bottle. This wine should be consumed at about 52 degrees Fahrenheit and would be an excellent partner with beer-steamed Dungeness crab, jumbo prawns or sautéed black cod. It should drink well for the next two to three years.

Wine: Monkey Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Grape: Sauvignon blanc

Region: Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand

Vintage: 2004

Price: $7.99

Gil Lempert-Schwarz writes his wine column each Wednesday. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749 or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.