Saturday Night – Mick’s cooking for six – Part 2

For the second course of the night Mick did his version of Insalata Caprese in which he adds Avocado and Red Onion to the usual Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil combination.

Mick picked a 2010 Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa to pair with the dish.

The nose on the wine was an interesting combination of grapefruit, gooseberry, pear and moss aromas.  I was surprised on how strong the nose was on this wine, as with a number of Sauvignon Blancs you really have to swirl the glass to get any aroma at all, whereas on this one the nose was very easy to find.  The flavour to the wine was lime, gooseberry and a touch of vanilla lurking around in the background.  The balance on this wine was very good with crisp and refreshing acidity.  This wine was a good pairing with the food but even better on its own.  A bottle of this on ice during a hot summer’s day while idly killing the day on the deck would be awesome.

Here is the group rating for the wine -Mick –87, Mark - 90, Kathy – 85, Amy – 87, Overall – 87.5.

Here is the LCBO information on this wine –

MULDERBOSCH SAUVIGNON BLANC 2010

VINTAGES 933424
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 18.95
Wine, White Wine
13.0% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : XD
Made in: Western Cape, South Africa
By: Mulderbosch
Release Date: Jun 25, 2011

Tasting Note - Light lemon-yellow in the glass. Fresh and invigorating aromas of green grass, asparagus, lime blossom, fresh herbs and mineral. Dry, medium bodied, with bright and tangy acidity. Crisp finish features savoury herbaceous notes. Good length. A very nice South African Savvy with some Loire and New Zealand influence evident. Enjoy with garden salads, steamed clams, or grilled chicken breast. (VINTAGES panel, May 2011)

As you can see on the ratings there was a fair difference from my 90 to my wife’s 85 and this can be explained quite simply – the bitch be crazy… just kidding.  Kathy enjoys the big acidity and razor sharp crispness of French Sauvignon Blanc or the big fruit of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and isn’t a big fan of middle ground Sauvignon Blanc like this one.  I, on the other hand, do really like the middle ground between those two pillars of the Sauvignon Blanc community which I find South African wines usually fit into.

Click here for Part 3