Olema Sauv Blanc

Olema Sauv Blanc is an Esplanda wine from Massachusetts, and the name points to Sauvignon Blanc. The catalog also files it under Chardonnay, so check the bottle's label for the grape before you plan a meal around it. The tasting notes below follow the Sauvignon Blanc style the name suggests, and the serving advice works for either grape. These are typical expectations for the style, not measured details of this bottle. Sauvignon Blanc is usually a dry, light-to-medium-bodied white with high acidity. Expect citrus (grapefruit, lime, lemon zest), green notes such as cut grass or green apple, and sometimes passion fruit or white peach. Tannin is essentially absent in a white wine like this. Most examples are made in stainless steel, which keeps the flavors crisp and the finish clean and fairly brisk. A Chardonnay would more likely show rounder orchard fruit and possibly some oak. For serving, chill it to roughly 45 to 50°F, which is a couple of hours in the refrigerator or about 30 minutes in an ice bath. Colder mutes the aromas, and warmer makes the acidity feel loose. Decanting isn't needed for a wine in this style. Pour it straight from the bottle into a medium white-wine glass with a slightly tapered rim, which gathers the citrus and herbal aromatics. Fill it only a third full so the wine stays cold while you drink it. The acidity makes it a natural match for foods with fat or salt. Good choices include goat cheese, fresh herbs, shellfish, grilled white fish with lemon, green salads with vinaigrette, and asparagus or other green vegetables that tend to overwhelm softer wines. It also works against mildly spiced dishes such as Thai or Vietnamese cooking. Wines in this style are generally made to be drunk young and fresh, so plan to open it within a year or two of purchase rather than cellar it.