Viña Jaraba, Vino de Pago D.O.P. (La Mancha, Spain) Sauvignon Blanc 2024 ($24, Grapes of Spain / Aurelio Cabestrero)

This is a terrific wine despite the possibility that it won’t match everyone’s ingrained sense of Sauvignon Blanc. But with that said, there are so many different styles of Sauvignon Blanc around the world, from New Zealand’s Marlborough to France’s Loire Valley’s Sancerre (which is itself changing rapidly due to climate change) that anyone stuck on just one style is going to miss out on a lot of very good wine. This shows non-pungent aromas of dried herbs and cut grass, assuring that you’ll know it is Sauvignon Blanc, but then true medium-body with excellent depth of flavor balanced by plenty of acidity to drive the flavors along and freshen the finish. The flavors include ripe melon with tropical undertones, dried apricot, and citrus edging. Quite detailed and yet very coherent in its complexity, this is fun just to drink on its own if that’s your preference, but also interesting enough to pay close attention to over an evening. Although this is suited well to classic Sauvignon Blanc pairings such as oysters on the half shell or linguini with clam sauce, this packs enough flavor to pair with more substantial dishes such as chicken in a cream sauce or a steak cut of swordfish. One last note: I still had a bottle of the 2023 left over from a restaurant consulting project, and when tasting that to see how the wine held up over time, found the 2023 had excellent “staying power” and was closely comparable to the 2024 in freshness and overall quality.
93 Michael Franz