Birds are chirping, tulips are budding and days are getting longer—spring is finally on the horizon. And as the weather is slowly starting to take a turn for the better, we’re looking to crisp white wines for the changing times.
“Sauvignon Blanc is the epitome of spring for me,” says Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate reviewer for Oregon, Sonoma County and California Central Coast. “And there's a style of it for every day of spring, which is so erratic at times. A fuller-bodied, oaked version from Napa for a chillier, windier spring day. A light, crisp version from Sancerre for one of those here-comes-the-broiling-hot-summer days. And the green/mineral hints in most Sauvignon Blanc is just perfect for spring in terms of pairing with food—salads and veggies, that’s what I want in spring—and Sauvignon Blanc has the verve and zest to pair with fresh greens and veggies.”
Here, seven light and bright Robert Parker Wine Advocate-approved white wines to kick off the spring season.
2016 Quinta da Muradella • Matador Arroyo
“It's reticent and reductive, with notes of wet stones and almonds, and it has a tasty, saline palate, very dry, with a chalky texture—a rare white that brings to mind a Sancerre from Vatan or a Bairrada from Quinta das Bageiras.”
2017 Zárate • Albariño El Palomar
“It's clean transparent and very expressive, with the dry sensation from the Albariño on granite soils and that certain austerity in the mouthfeel.”
2018 Tabalí • Talinay Sauvignon Blanc
“Sauvignon Blanc really thrives in cold vintages like 2018, producing wines that are bone dry and vibrant, with a crisp and crystalline palate.”
2017 Neumeister • Ried Klausen Sauvignon Blanc 1STK
“From Muschelkalk and calcareous sandstone soils, this Klausen is deep, stony, elegant yet concentrated and noble, with coolish fruit aromas along with herbal/vegetal (but not green) and stony notes. I would easily accept it as a top Sancerre.”
2002 Krug • Blanc de Noirs Brut Clos d’Ambonnay
“This is a taut and expressive yet highly finessed Clos d'Ambonnay that is shining brighter and becoming more and more complex the more time it has to breathe.”
2016 Kongsgaard • Chardonnay The Judge
“Bottled in June 2018, the 2016 Chardonnay The Judge opens a little reticently with slowly unfurling notions of lime leaves, yuzu and freshly squeezed lemons with notes of honeyed white peaches and crème brûlée followed by crushed rocks, lemongrass and praline plus a waft of peach blossoms.”
2017 Aubert • Chardonnay Lauren Estate
“Full-bodied and jam-packed with energetic citrus and spice layers, it has a gorgeous satiny texture and fantastic freshness, finishing very, very long with bags of grace!”
