Susan & I tried these over the weekend:
1. DryCreekVnyd SauvBlanc Estate/DCV3/DryCreekVlly/SonomaCnty (Planted in 1972; 13.5%; www.DryCreekVineyard.com) 2009: Light yellow color; strong herbal/melon/honeydew/SB/green olive slight grassy/mineral/stony/Loire-like very attractive nose; rather tart strong herbal/melony/SB bit grassy/mineral/green olive some lean/angular flavor; very long herbal/melony/green olive light mineral/stony finish; needs a yr or two; a lovely SB veering towards the herbal/mineral/green olive side. $25.00
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2. GerardBetrand AC: Picpoul de Pinet Coteaux du Languedoc (12.5%; www.Gerard-Bertrand.com) 2010: Pale yellow color; quite earthy/mineral/stony very light apple blossom/spicy bright nose; very tart strong mineral/stony/earthy little fruit bit eviscerated/lean/austere flavor; med.long rather mineral/stony/earthy/chalky little fruit slight apple/quince finish; rather classic lean/mineral Picpoul. $18.00
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3. GerardBetrand Rose IGP: Pays d'Oc GrisBlanc (13%; GrenacheGris) 2010: very pale salmon/copper/gris near colorless; quite aromatic/strawberry/cranberry pleasant/simple nose; very tart/lean/austere some bitter/astringent cranberry/stony eviscerated flavor; med.short some bitter/astringent light apple/quince strong stony/mineral lean/austere finish; lots of stony/austere character but lacks much fruit; bit hurtey on the palate. $15.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. GrenacheGris: A pretty rare variant/clone of Grenache. There's a small block of GrenacheGris up on BillyCrawford's McDowellVllyVnyd. It goes to Donkey&Goat, who makes a really lovely rose from it. They use extended skin contact that give the wine much more color than this GrisBlanc, yet not the bitter/astringent character.
Tom