Pago de La Jaraba, La Mancha (Spain) Sauvignon 2017

 So, let’s be entirely candid about this:  If you were to offer me a Sauvignon Blanc from a warm, sunny climate, and I were not dying of thirst, I would decline your offer.  Unless, that is, the wine comes to me as a press sample from Aurelio Cabestrero, the supremely knowledgeable mind behind Grapes of Spain, an importing company to keep up on your wine radar at all times.  Well, this wine turns out to be an undeniable success, however surprising that may be to me.  It is medium-bodied and shows the weight and breadth one would expect from La Mancha, but not the ripe, melon-y fruit profile nor the alcoholic thump that I had expected.  Rather, there’s a clear an herbal and citrus signature to go with a hint of melon character on both the nose and palate, and the wine stays light on its feet through the finish.  I handed a glass (without any background info) to my food-savvy wife, who declared, “I like it…and I’d really like it with risotto with lots of Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh spring peas and a little lemon zest.”  I include this suggestion without editorial comment, aside from the one caveat that I’m not willing to wait until spring before enjoying this wine again.