My apologies to the entomologist Justin Schmidt, but Sauvignon Blanc to me is "pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like walking over flaming charcoal with a 3-inch nail in your heel." I hate the grape. But I was being tortured by the Spanish Inquisition: having been made to sit in a comfy chair, a glass was given to me of Etienne et Sébastien Riffault Sancerre "Les Quarterons" 2012 - label. Much to my surprise I preferred the wine to the sting of a bullet ant. Normally if given the choice between SB and BA I'll always take the less painful BA.
It smelled rather like a nice earl grey with quite powerful bergamot and apple aromas. Much of what I read about this wine are complaints of it being oxidised. I guess some will call any apple aroma oxidised. Mercifully there are no bullet ants - I mean stereotypical Sauvignon Blanc scents - hiding in the aroma so it is actually very pleasant to sniff. I might be hallucinating but I think I sense a bit of botrytis, too. Oh well, anything that covers the grape's stereotypical stench is welcome.
It is weighty on the palate, very concentrated, not incredibly high in acidity but enough to keep it balanced. All in all this seems more like a good "natural" Chenin than any bullet ant I've had to endure in the past. Very nice.
