Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc comes from Marlborough, the region at the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island that accounts for most of the country's Sauvignon Blanc plantings, and it is bottled at 13.0% ABV. Wines made from this grape in this region usually share a clear profile. Expect grapefruit and passion fruit alongside cut grass and fresh herb notes, with a bright, mouth-watering acidity. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is typically fermented in stainless steel, so you can expect a clean, direct style with little or no oak influence and no buttery richness. Tannin is essentially absent in a white like this. Body should sit in the light-to-medium range, and the finish is usually crisp and fairly short. At 13.0%, it should feel fresh rather than heavy. Serve it well chilled, around 7 to 9°C (45 to 48°F). Roughly two to three hours in the refrigerator, or about 30 minutes in an ice bucket, gets it there. Much colder and the fruit goes quiet. Warmer than about 10°C and the acidity can start to feel sharp and the alcohol more noticeable. There is no need to decant. Pour it straight from the bottle. A standard white wine glass with a moderately narrow bowl suits it. The shape concentrates the grassy and citrus aromas, and the stem keeps your hand from warming the wine. This is a drink-now bottle. Wines in this style are made for their fresh, youthful fruit, and extra cellaring generally dulls the aromatics rather than adding complexity. Most are at their best within a couple of years of release, so open it soon rather than saving it. Once opened, recork or reseal it and keep it in the fridge. It should hold its character for two to three days. At the table, the herbal edge of the wine is a good guide to what to cook. Parsley, coriander (cilantro), chives, basil and dill all echo the grassy notes, so they work well in dishes such as steamed mussels with herbs, seared scallops, grilled prawns with a lime-and-coriander dressing, or roast chicken finished with parsley. Fresh goat's cheese is a classic match, since the wine's acidity cuts through its tang. The same acidity handles vinaigrette-dressed salads and asparagus, which can clash with softer wines. Light Thai or Vietnamese dishes with lime and fresh herbs also suit it.