Arniston Bay (South Africa) Limited Release Sauvignon Blanc 2008
I think it pays to be mightily suspicious of a new label from a big-brand wine appearing on the shelves on a ‘half price’ offer. Whether this wine is worth £7.99 I doubt, but at £3.99 it’s a very good buy. A selection of premium Sauvignon grapes from the Western Cape, it is fermented in stainless steel. It has a very pale green colour, and a nose of fresh pea shoots melding into a gently tropical, lychee and guava fruitiness. There’s a little hint of grapefruit zest too, in a nice aromatic picture. On the palate this is pretty much dry, with those tropical fruit notes of exotic fruit and melon submerged over a much more citrussy, keen and sharp flavour profile, where the little bit of Sauvignon grassiness persists too. It falls away rather rapidly, and there’s a sense that the wine just lacks a bit of concentration, but this is good value on the current offer. It’s red partner, a Shiraz, is also in the Co-op at £3.99 currently. I prefer the Sauvignon, but the Shiraz is an OK at £3.99 too.
