Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc

Oyster Bay's Sauvignon Blanc is a dry, unoaked white built for freshness. Bottlings in this style usually show citrus and green-fruit aromas, with grapefruit, lime zest, green apple and gooseberry the typical markers. Many also carry a herbal edge of cut grass or fresh-snipped chives, and some lean toward passionfruit or melon. Expect a light-to-medium body with no tannin, since this is a white wine. Acidity is the defining feature and usually registers as crisp and mouth-watering. Oak is generally absent in this style, so the finish should be clean and fairly short, with a citrus-peel snap. That acidity makes it a good match for food with richness or salt to cut through. Goat cheese, fresh chèvre salads and sheep's-milk feta all suit it. Oysters, steamed mussels, ceviche and grilled white fish do too, especially with a squeeze of lemon. It also handles the herbs and acidity that trip up many wines, including pesto, green sauces, asparagus, tomato-based dishes and Thai or Vietnamese cooking with lime and cilantro. A very spicy curry will overwhelm it, as will heavy cream sauces. Serve it well chilled, around 45 to 50°F, which is roughly two to three hours in the refrigerator or thirty minutes in an ice bucket. Colder than that mutes the aromatics, and warmer makes the acidity feel sharp and the fruit loose. No decanting is needed, and pouring straight from the bottle is fine. A standard white wine glass with a modest bowl and a slightly narrowed rim will concentrate the citrus and herbal aromas better than a wide-mouthed red glass. This is a drink-now bottle. Sauvignon Blanc at this level is made for its first year or two, when the fresh fruit and acidity are at their best. Cellaring it won't build complexity and tends to flatten the aromas, so open it young.