Monkey Bay - Sauvignon Blanc 2004

Monkey Bay - Sauvignon Blanc 2004
13% Alcohol by volume
Size: 750 mL
Price: $9.99
Drinking Vessel: Coffee mugs
Shiver Factor: 2
Overall Rating, Karen: 7.5
Overall Rating. Nick: 8.5
Amount consumed for two to catch a buzz: About one half

This is a New Zealand wine that won an award in 2003 for the New Zealand Wine Producer of the Year, which must be pretty important as it’s featured prominently on the bottle. We had chilled it in the refrigerator before opening it. At first smell, it basically smelled like all wine does to me. Karen, who enjoys drinking wine from time to time and is thus more expert in its ways, felt it didn’t have any strong smells. The wine tasted almost carbonated to me with kind of a fruity taste that we both agreed on. I didn’t detect any aftertaste, which was unusual to me as most wines leave a taste like moldy feces in my mouth. Karen said the lack of aftertaste is usually referred to as ‘clean.’ One thing we did notice is that as the wine started to warm on the table, the taste got stronger and more pungent so it’s a good idea to keep this wine in the fridge while not in use. Overall, we felt it was a pretty good selection and would recommend it. Not too shabby for a blind stab in the wine isle on the first try, I’d say.