Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon 2004

Hosted a game night last Friday, and I thought it was fun. Glad to have the presence of a newly engaged couple, couple of old friends, and a few people that I have not seen for sometime. Taboo was fun, even though, as I discovered, I can be kind of demanding when playing that game. Scene It is a pretty fun game too, but I think it works better with a larger crowd, and on a topic that we actually understand (and some old movies I just have no clue about . . . perhaps Harry Potter or Friends then I would know better). Also, I got a chance to drink some wine, and I was found of this $11 screw cap Australian white blend: Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon Margaret River 2004.

This Cape Mentelle is not something that will blow your mind away, but it has enough flavors for a nice party I think. The wine is made of 53% Sauvignon Blanc and 47% Sémillon. You can clearly taste the flavor of the Sauvignon Blanc, the citrusy and grapefruit flavor that is a little bit sour and at the same time refreshing. I also tasted a little bit of pineapple, which is sweet, but a little bitter with a bite. However, with that said, this wine lacks the spring freshness and the excitements that you will find in what I think are pretty awesome New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. Perhaps the reason is because I thought there tends to be a more heaviness to this wine, unlike a Sauvignon Blanc, which could be due to the presence of Sémillon, a grape that, after been attacked by botrytis cinerea (which is a mold that will attack the grape and deprive it of water to cause it to shrivel, which intensifies the acidity and also the sugar level of the grape), will produce those pretty amazing sweet wine Sauternes. However, Sémillon is said to be a grape that doesn't usually do well by itself. It is rather neutral flavored, low in acidity and aroma, but have good texture. However, when combine Sémillon with Sauvignon Blanc, which are wine with high acidity and the aroma, the result is a more complex and richer, rounder wine. I thought the Sémillon in this case provided a taste of raw honey and soften up presence of the Sauvignon Blanc, but at the same time weighing it down as well (I quite like the acidity in a regular Sauvignon Blanc sometimes). The wine is no doubt fuller, more multi-dimensioned, and more complex, as underneath the citrusy grapefruitness there is a tone of honey, giving the wine more depth. Still, I am not sure if the two grapes have achieved perfect harmony in this wine.