Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc
Look closely at the label of this wine and you’ll see something other than just the Los Vascos name, you’ll also see Domaines Baron de Rothschild (Lafite) — one of the most prestigious producers in Bordeaux… and therefore one of the most expensive. That name is on the bottle because they took over the Los Vascos estate in 1988. And while their wines from Bordeaux are pricey, those from Los Vascos are quite reasonable, making Los Vascos some of the few wines with the Lafite name that I can afford to drink.
Despite the prestige of the Lafite name, there was one thing about this wine that kind of turned me off, the synthetic cork. I don’t mind screw caps, and there’s something experiential about a real cork that just adds to the romance of a wine. But a rubbery/plastic synthetic cork is just a turn off to me. How about you?
But as I get past my disappointment with the cork I get to what’s really important, the wine. And it doesn’t disappoint.
The nose of this wine is exactly what I expect from a Casablanca Valley sauvignon blanc. It has plenty of tropical fruit aromas, a bit of herbal / grassiness, lime and a cool mineral quality underlying all of it. On the palate it has intense grapefruit, lime and granny smith apple flavors. The apple flavor really stands out on a long finish, which is also riddled with acidity. The finish of the finish (I know “the finish of the finish” may sound ridiculous, but it was that loooong, and complex) has a bit of saltiness. In fact, the acidity in this wine is incredible, making this a superb sauvignon blanc for shellfish.
Wine: Los Vascos
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 89
Price: $10.00
Find Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc with Snooth
Here’s what others thought of the this wine:
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.
I really like this wine, I even taped a videotasting with it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V8m0PEsokU
Cheers!
j.
Thanks for sharing, Jesus. It’s a different vintage, but the 2008 & 2009 vintages were fairly consistent so it’s still a good perspective – particularly for those who speak Spanish 😉
I’m going to have to look for this, as right now every white wine I currently have in my meager “cellar” is a Sauvignon Blanc right now.
But I am interested in trying this just because it is owned by Domaines Baron de Rothschild (Lafite). Though setting the cork aside, (and by the way I agree about synthetic vs real cork), do you think its ownership is reflected in the wine?
I know its price hints at no but it would be interesting to hear.
I don’t know how to tell if the ownership is reflected in the wine, considering that it’s a completely different region and completely different wine. It is a very good sauvignon blanc, so perhaps that’s a reflection of the ownership. Either way, it’s tasty.
I love the wine too, but I don’t like the cork. In fact, I came across this post looking for something to tell me WHEN they started using the synthetic cork, because I just opened a bottle, and can’t remember it being a “fake” cork! Anybody know?
I don’t know when they switched to the synthetic cork. But I know I don’t like it.