2016 Round Pond Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Rutherford, CA

Labeled as 14.5% abv. I purchased a couple bottles of this after a tasting in a Raleigh wine store during a past Triangle Wine Experience. Straw color with clarity. The palate is refreshing with a tingly acidic presence. I find a hint of grapefruit. I believe the wine went through fermentation in stainless steel tanks which is what I prefer for the Sauvignon Blanc grape. Very nice.

[Jenise]

Round Pond was new to me when I tasted their '11 Cabernet Sauvignon which was especially successful for a tough vintage, I believe I have a bottle or two. This SB sounds like one I'd enjoy a lot, too.

Sounds like a nice SB. Have never been impressed with SB from Canada and Calif.

Yeah, Bob.

Sauvignon Blanc from California is pretty universally BORING, and usually over-priced for the quality!

Yeah, Bob.

Sauvignon Blanc from California is pretty universally BORING, and usually over-priced for the quality!

IMO Sauvignon requires a cool climate and suitable site to bring out freshness and minerality, like parts of the upper Loire valley and New Zealand. I'm not wild about white Bordeaux though Sémillon does help the blend.

[David M. Bueker]

Sauvignon Blanc from California is pretty universally BORING

I don't even like the grape and I can't agree with that. Unless you are just referring to the mass production plonk.

[Jenise]

Sauvignon Blanc from California is pretty universally BORING

I don't even like the grape and I can't agree with that. Unless you are just referring to the mass production plonk.

And I love the grape and don't agree. Dara, is it possible that in Ohio you're simply not getting the best of what California has to offer?

I also LOVE the grape. That gooseberry taste is wonderful, but S.B. needs the acid it gets from being grown where there is a strong diurnal shift. Because I do like S.B., I have tasted many from California. (I am kind of a wine-tasting groupie. I would rather pay $1-2 for a taste than buy a bottle that I end up not liking.)

And ideally, (when I can afford it), Sauvignon Blanc needs some Se'million grapes, 18 months lees again, 1/3 new oak, and hand-picked grapes.

I did not mean to complain about your choice. Someone made a very sensible statement about California S.B. being dull, and I strongly agree.

Unfortunately, since the U.S. has no actual appellations, they are allowed to grow any thing any place. So they grow Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir where it is too hot for those grapes. Wine can't be in balance without adequate acid.

Trader Joe has a Chilean SB for $5 (no, not 2-buck Chuck) that is better than any I ever tasted from California, regardless of price. It's not perfect, but it's not blah. I like complexity and balance in wine, not the sweetness in California wine.

[Jenise]

Unfortunately, since the U.S. has no actual appellations, they are allowed to grow any thing any place. So they grow Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir where it is too hot for those grapes. Wine can't be in balance without adequate acid.

Trader Joe has a Chilean SB for $5 (no, not 2-buck Chuck) that is better than any I ever tasted from California, regardless of price. It's not perfect, but it's not blah. I like complexity and balance in wine, not the sweetness in California wine.

I love acidity as much as I love minerality, and I prize complexity and balance above all other things. In general I drink more European wines than American. So we're in tune there--but: California isn't just one place. It's a collection of diverse growing areas that bring different things to the table, and from Santa Barbara (Brander, for instance) to Sonoma (Rochioli, Bevan, just to name two) and Napa (Spotteswood, a recent Matthiason) there are stunning Sauvignon Blancs to be had. But yeah, they'll cost you more than $5.

Spotteswood is much more than $5 extra .

[Jenise]

It is, but I didn't say 'extra'. Dara mentioned a Chilean SB she liked a lot that only costs $5--btw, I have to say that I have really loved a lot of Chilean SBs. Great value, closer to Bordeaux than New Zealand in profile, so I can understand her reference. But there are many excellent California SBs--they're unfortunately mostly priced more like splurges than everyday wine.

[David M. Bueker]

Unfortunately, since the U.S. has no actual appellations, they are allowed to grow any thing any place.

Sorry Dara, but I have to pick on this. Requiring specific grape varieties does not make an appellation. That's an AOC rule, but not all countries adhere to the French rules. Do you dismiss Tuscan wines because they grow Cabernet Sauvignon in Tuscany? Is the Mosel meaningless because of Pinot Blanc or Muller-Thurgau? How about the Languedoc?