Chasing Venus Sauvignon Blanc 2019
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Wilfred
Wong -
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Winemaker Notes
Bright, crisp, lively and refreshing; there is no doubt that this is a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Explosive aromas of tropical fruit, lychee and pineapple lead to big flavors of grapefruit, mango, papaya, gooseberry and lime.
This Sauvignon Blanc is great on its own as an apertif or paired with oysters, sushi, gazpacho or spicy Thai chicken noodles.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Chasing Venus Sauvignon Blanc is firm, well-built, and lasting on the palate. TASTING NOTES: This wine offers aromas and flavors of dried herbs and grapefruit rind. Pair it with smoked oysters and a squeeze of lemon. (Tasted: June 4, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
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Tasting Panel
Smooth herbal nose, exuberant flavors of citrus, and racy acidity. Juicy and lively; charming and long.
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Wine Spectator
Lemongrass, lemon verbena, pear, pineapple and green apple flavors are mouthwatering, generous and intense, with a long finish. Drink now.
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Chasing Venus is part of the Matchbook Wine Company family of brands. This wine is produced from grapes grown on small family farms in the acclaimed Marlborough appellation. The McLean vineyard is located in the heart of Marlborough where the free-draining alluvial soils contribute the tropical and ripe green aromas, while the Comely Bank is all about zest. The 2017 is a lovely pale straw color with intoxicating aromas of citrus and passion fruit. Vibrant, mouthwatering flavors of grapefruit, pineapple and lime zest fill the palate. Nice minerality on the refreshingly long finish.
In 1769, Captain Cook took command of the HMS Endeavor, setting sail for the Pacific to study the passage of the planet Venus across the disc of the Sun. Little did the world know, this was a ruse for Cook’s true objective: He’d been commissioned by the British to find the mysterious and elusive “Southern Continent.” On this voyage, Cook became the first European to explore New Zealand, and he did eventually find Australia. Quite the accomplishment for a captain who was just out Chasing Venus.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
An icon and leading region of New Zealand's distinctive style of Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough has a unique terroir, making it ideal for high quality grape production (of many varieties). Despite some common generalizations, which could be fairly justified given that Marlborough is responsible for 90% of New Zealand's Sauvignon blanc production, the wines from this region are actually anything but homogenous. At the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, the vineyards of Marlborough benefit from well-draining, stony soils, a dry, sunny climate and wide temperature fluctuations between day and night, a phenomenon that supports a perfect balance between berry ripeness and acidity.
The region’s king variety, Sauvignon blanc, is beloved for its pungent, aromatic character with notes of exotic tropical fruit, freshly cut grass and green bell pepper along with a refreshing streak of stony minerality. These wines are made in a wide range of styles, and winemakers take advantage of various clones, vineyard sites, fermentation styles, lees-stirring and aging regimens to differentiate their bottlings, one from one another.
Also produced successfully here are fruit-forward Pinot noirs (especially where soils are clay-rich), elegant Riesling, Pinot gris and Gewürztraminer.