My usual go-to wine when strong green, herbal notes are part of a dish is Sauvignon Blanc. But New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are often quite citrusy, and US Sauvignon Blancs can be too melony and soft for basil. So I opened a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc--and it was perfect with my linguine tossed with homemade pesto and topped with some heirloom cherry tomatoes.
The 2011 Viña Carmen Sauvignon Blanc Gran Reserva (available for $13-$15 in the market) is made from grapes grown in the Leyda Valley. It has vibrant aromas of grass, gooseberry, and that uniquely weird smell of boxwood that I often smell in Sauvignon Blancs from the southern hemisphere. This wine was green and leafy rather than citrusy, with a backbone of acidity that was neutral in flavor but kept your mouth watering for more. The midpalate was herbal, making me think 'this is what Cabernet Franc would taste like if it were white and not red.' Cool and refreshing, this stood up to the basil. If you have the wine with something less resolutely green, you may find that its assertiveness is a problem but if you have basil, this is a good wine to go with it--and it represents very good QPR.Full Disclosure: I received a sample of this wine for possible review.
4 comments:
Will try the wine, Deb--I'm a Sauvignon Blanc lover, but haven't tried many from South America--but would kill for your linguine with pesto and heirloom tomatoes at the moment:-)
basil is my all-time favorite herb... i will definitely try this wine... i'm persuaded by the description "was green and leafy rather than citrusy".
great review.
I usually recommend an Italian wine with Italian food. I find Italian wines to be herbaceous and minerally which usually goes well with the savory herbs that dominate their cuisine.
South American Sauvignon Blanc looks like an adventure that I will have to check out!
Thanks!
Frank Pepe's makes a kickass fresh tomato, basil, and garlic pie in the summer. I'm just sayin'.
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