Tasting notes: Josh Cellars, Sauvignon Blanc, 2019

I really think one of the best summer wines is Sauvignon Blanc.  Josh Cellars Sauvignon Blanc just rings summer in a glass with its crisp, refreshing approach.  Open fields of recently mowed grass after a rainstorm come to mind when you sip this rejuvenating delight.  There might be a little green in the mouth as this varietal is quite herbaceous and often with hints of hay.

Before you think you are going to drink a grass seed juice shot, let me delve a little further.  This green, or grassy, quality added to the crisp acidity makes for a refreshing almost zippy wine.  Typical flavors emerge from melon and tropical fruit to citrus and grass.  There is a wide range of flavors with this varietal, but they all bend to an acidic and refreshing experience. 

Some winemakers try to reduce the herbal notes of Sauvignon Blanc by making it work like a chardonnay in oak barrels.  This process tends to strip the grape of its varietal character.  I find the stainless steel versions much truer to the grape and much more interesting to enjoy.

If chardonnay’s buttery roundness is Marilyn Monroe, Sauvignon Blanc is Reese Witherspoon.  It is springy, wide-eyed, spontaneous fun.  The untamed flavors of this crisp wine can charge your mouth with enjoyable intensity and leave you gulping for more.

These days you can find Sauvignon Blanc from France, New Zealand, Austria, South Africa, California, Texas, Washington State and Virginia.  Wouldn’t our Founding Fathers be proud!  The bottles from Chile marked Sauvignon Blanc are sometimes made from sauvignon vert. This is a different grape, which makes a likeable wine, however it is much less intense and herbal than Sauvignon Blanc. 

I Picked up a bottle of Josh Cellars for about $12 and tasted it on a late Spring day which hinted of the heat summer is to bring. 

Sniff.  The fruit I picked up included under ripe apricot, white peach and citrus notes.  There was an element of grass and mineral.  But, it was very light and without intensity. The lack of intensity became a theme with this wine. The good news is it does not beat you with grapefruit.

Swirl.  The color was a naked yellow and clear.     

Sip.   On the palate, I found citrus notes, grass, a hint of mineral and white flower.  It was definitely acidic, but more like juice for the mouth feel.  Not much there, there.  I appreciated the crisp approach, but felt cheated with a simple disappearance at the finish.

I like Josh Cellars and have enjoyed several of their wines.  This particular one is light and easy, but I would not call it memorable.  It is an easy mindless sipper with little commitment to the zippy refreshing delights of many Sauvignon Blancs out there. Decent on a hot summer day.

Cheers Y’all!