I’m sure we’ve covered this before…I’m too lazy to search…but question inspired by my IG…
Who King SB?
Vatan
I Block
Haut Brion
Cotat
Dagueneau
.
.
.
???
Tement and Zweytick
Boulay with F. Cotat not far behind
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Does White Bordeaux count?
Haven’t had a lot of SB because I usually don’t love it, but Boulay makes me swoon.
Mondavi “I block.”
I had a young Francois Cotat Monts Damné once was almost great. Aromas, flavor, body, complexity, balance, etc were all 100% in the zone. But there was a weird rubbery off flavor that did not blow off with air that kind of ruined the experience for me. It wasn’t super strong, but it was definitely unpleasant. My drinking partner didn’t notice it, and none of the CT reviewers mentioned it either. Maybe it’s just me…Either way, I’d love to try an aged example.
My wife and I recently had a bottle of 2012 I Block we purchased on our honeymoon. While delicious, I found it a bit heavy, which I may attribute to its seemingly aggressive oak regime. The finish was a tad weighty, harsh, and lingering (not is a great way). Don’t get me wrong, its still a very a nice wine, but perhaps not quite in a style I prefer. Also, in full transparency, my experience with SB is more limited than most here, so that may play into this impression as well.
However, I do love the fact this is drinking Napa history, and that the vineyard remains planted to Sauvginon Blanc rather than ripped up and planted to Cabernet.
I find Eisele SB to be my favorite so far.
Yquem
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The full ~20% of it?
Yep.
Ok.
Otto,
if the greatest expression of Sauvignon Blanc, is indeed a blend it shouldn’t matter. Yquem just may the greatest wine in the world, proven over a century or more.
Best Regards
Jeremy
Pure SB: Francois/Paul Cotat (and though I love the Culs de Beaujeu, Mont Damnes is more complete and more complex and more clearly showing SB varietal character at its best from this magical hillside)
Previously: Paul and Francis Cotat
I love Vatan, but it’s more Vatan than SB, and I’d give the nod to the Cotats.
Cousin Pascal Cotat is up there too. I just don’t think he hits quite as well as Francois.
And better than Boulay mentioned here, for me at least, is Thomas-Labaille.
Vacheron and SHL are my favorites…
Somewhere in Sancerre, depending on the vintage, the site, the producer and when you open the bottle. The producers are the usual suspects - Cotat, Boulay, etc. but many others offer very good and occasionally great wines.
I don’t always drink Vatan, but when I do, I prefer Vatan.
Said with a smooth R&B Samm Henshaw tune in the background….
Sauvignon Blanc - the Vogon poetry of the wine world
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