Citrusy, pithy and bright, this week’s Wine of the Week is rare sauvignon blanc for Long Island. Raphael 2017 Sauvignon Blanc ($19) over delivers deliciousness for under $20.
It’s low alcohol at 11.4 percent ABV and is blended with 4 percent semillon, which is common for sauvignon blanc in Bordeaux, but less so here. All of the fruit was grown in the winery’s estate vineyards.
Its aromas are very citrusy (lime and grapefruit) with light floral notes and subtle but distinct wet slate notes that I don’t get very often in local sauvignon blanc.
The palate is more focused on grapefruit’s juicy pulp and slightly bitter pith, with snappy acids and some nice lemony herbs — think balm and verbena — bringing just a little savory complexity. That bitterness might sound off-putting, but here it’s not.
This seafood- and salad-ready sauvignon is available at the Raphael’s Peconic tasting room. A really nice value in a category that’s often inconsistent.
Lenn Thompson has been writing about American wine — with a focus on New York —for nearly 15 years. After running newyorkcorkreport.com for 12 years, he launched thecorkreport.us in 2016 and The Cork Report Podcast soon after. He lives in Miller Place with his wife and two children.
