Escudo Rojo Sauvignon Blanc

Escudo Rojo Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine made under the Esplanda label and listed with a Massachusetts appellation in the United States. Sauvignon Blanc is a high-acid, aromatic grape, and bottles in this style are usually unoaked, dry and built around freshness. Expect citrus such as lime, grapefruit and lemon zest, along with green notes like cut grass, green apple or gooseberry. Some bottles add a touch of passion fruit or melon. Body is typically light to medium, tannin is effectively absent in a white like this, and the finish tends to be short to moderate, crisp and clean. Oak is not a typical feature of the grape in its common styling. This listing does not state a vintage, alcohol level or tasting profile, so treat these notes as what the grape usually delivers rather than a measured description of this bottle. That bright acidity is what makes it useful at the table. Pair it with foods that are salty, fatty or herbal. Fresh goat cheese, feta, and salads dressed with lemon or vinaigrette all work well. Shellfish suits it, including oysters, steamed clams, shrimp and scallops, as do simply grilled white fish. Dishes with fresh herbs, such as pesto pasta, chicken with tarragon, or asparagus and green-bean preparations, echo the grape's grassy side. It also handles mildly spicy food like Thai or Vietnamese dishes better than most heavier whites. Rich cream sauces and heavily smoked or roasted meats tend to overpower it. Serve it well chilled, around 45 to 50°F (7 to 10°C). A couple of hours in the refrigerator, or about 30 minutes in an ice bath, gets it there. If it is too cold, the aromatics go quiet. Decanting is unnecessary for a wine of this type. Pour it straight from the bottle into a medium-sized white wine glass with a slightly tapered rim, which focuses the citrus and herbal aromas without letting them fade. Sauvignon Blanc in this style is generally made to be drunk young, and its fresh fruit is at its best within a year or two of release. Plan to open it soon rather than cellar it.