Spier is a South African Winery who's roots in the industry take back to the late 1600's. They make wines in as many as 6 different tiers. Prices, styles and intent range amongst the tiers. Over the next few days I'll be looking at 4 wines in the Spier portfolio.
The 2005 Sauvignon Blanc is from the Private Collection. This is the highest rung on the Spier quality scale. The wines at this level are from single vineyard plots and released in limited quantity each year assuming the selected grapes are up to snuff. Suggested retail price on this wine is approximately $28.
The nose of this wine opens with a lot of citrus which is underscored by a subtler but persistent grassiness. The first sip reveals and incredible fruitiness and well balanced acidity. This wine is rounder and more full bodied than the average Sauvignon Blanc. The mid palate continues the citrus theme with an undercurrent of pineapple and a touch of green pepper. The finish is long and persistent with spice notes closing things out.
For a Sauvignon Blanc that's three years old as I write this, the Spier Private Collection is very fresh and lively. It has another 2-3 years of life ahead of it, assuming it's well stored.
Truthfully I don't often consider spending the sort of money on a Sauvignon Blanc that this wine goes for. That said it's one of the more impressive and complex Sauvignon Blanc's I've had in a long while. And while the retail is in the upper $20's, this wine can be found for much closer to $20. At that price Spier is offering a wine that straddles the world of Sauvignon Blanc's. It has the citrus associated with them in many parts of the world as well as some of the grassiness most often associated with Sauvignon Blanc emerging from New Zealand.
Up Next: Spier Private Collection Pinotage.
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