Indaba Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Granny Smith apple and clementine flavors are the backbone of this wine, with additional accents of white florals and green plum skin. Medium weight with aggressive but enjoyable acidity and a zippy finish.

Very fresh, with verbena, kaffir lime and fennel notes, showing nice zip through the finish. Contains 4 percent Chenin Blanc. Drink now.

Clean, fresh and appealing but not overly complex, this Chenin has a citric quality that immediately evokes warm weather sipping and seafood pairings. It's a white that offers friendly flavors and a refreshing quaff, all at a very palatable, everyday price.

Granny Smith apple and clementine flavors are the backbone of this wine, with additional accents of white florals and green plum skin. Medium weight with aggressive but enjoyable acidity and a zippy finish.

Pale green-yellow color. Citrus peel, gooseberry and pepper on the nose. Juicy and spicy in the mouth, with a touch of sweetness but decent cut. I like the combination of spice and subtle sweetness on the gentle finish.

Another winner from South Africa's Cape Indaba. Their Sauvignon Blanc has loads of tropical fruit meshed with floral nuances.

Having commented on the dissimilarity between Indabarsquo;s Chenin Blanc and those of the Loire, itrsquo;s no surprise that when it comes to their 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, nobody would fail to recognize its common grape of origin with those of the Loire, or for that matter Marlborough, Sudsteiermark, or elsewhere in the world. What is remarkable, though, is the refusal of this wine mdash; or at least, of the people behind it mdash; to settle for the obvious, generic gooseberries, passion fruit, cassis leaf, boxwood, or grass clippings that so often spell ldquo;Sauvignon.rdquo; Instead, we are treated here to aromas of grapefruit, honeydew melon, sage and mint. So ingrained are the expectations with this grape that the back label even tells you to expect (among other more plausible candidates) ldquo;gooseberry mdash; bell pepper and fresh cut grass,rdquo; but I certainly donrsquo;t get much of that! This mouth-filling, downright luscious, refreshing, and cleansing wine finishes with slightly bitter but by no means unattractive notes of herb and peach kernel. If such quality can be rendered for $10, why should we (or the reputation of a wonderful grape) have to put up with 90% of what is nowadays bottled from Sauvignon Blanc?