Published by Jeremy.
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We will never say no to a good Sauvignon Blanc, as this versatile white grape can be grown all over the world with very interesting flavors exhibited.
Gabrielskloof's Amphora Sauvignon Blanc is an interesting one as the wine is naturally fermented in clay amphora and aged on the gross lees for a number of months before bottling- a bit of a nod to historic winemaking pre-stainless steel.
What resulted is an interesting Sauvignon Blanc with some unexpected complexities!
Amphora Aged Sauvignon Blanc
This amphora-aged Sauvignon Blanc was pale lemon in color and had medium aromas of lemon, lime, pear, grapefruit, gooseberry, wet stone, peach skin, and candied pineapple.
On the palate it was dry with medium(+) acidity and body, medium alcohol and flavor intensity, and a long finish. We had notes of lemon, pear, peach, pineapple, grapefruit, wet stone, nectarine, white blossom, beeswax, toast, and almond.
On the nose alone, this one smelled a lot like a traditionally made Sauvignon Blanc. But when tasting it, well, we had a nice burst of lees and tertiary characteristics that really added a nice complexity all around that you may not often get in this type of wine- in all the best ways possible, of course.
Sauvignon Blanc Food Pairing – Zucchini Pancakes with Tomato Jam
We paired this Sauvignon Blanc with zucchini pancakes with tomato jam and a peach and tomato salad. We thought it'd be fun to pair bright acidic elements with herbal notes as well to see what notes could be brought out in this complex wine.
The herb-forward zucchini pancakes brought out notes of lemon, lime, and the basil on top of the pancakes popped in flavor as well. The peach salad on the side brought out more herbal mineral notes in addition to a lemon spike which also showed the versatility of this wine in its food pairing capabilities.
Score 3.5 / 5
We'd buy a glass of this one and a bottle with a good pairing.
Overall, we really liked how the amphora notes added a bit of complexity to this Sauvignon Blanc, and really loved how the wine paired with both of our dishes. We'd always be happy to have a glass of this one show up, and could be persuaded on a bottle with a great food pairing like the above, too.
Gabrielskloof is located at R43, Bot River, 7185, in South Africa. We received this wine as part of our Picked by Wine.com subscription and enjoyed it in 2024.
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