Starborough | Washington Hills | Barefoot
With Spring in full swing and summer just around the corner it’s time to start thinking about cool crisp and refreshing wines to quench our palates. To this end I took a trip to my local grocery store’s wine department and somewhat randomly picked out a selection of Sauvignon Blanc to review for you
In picking the wines, I wanted to pick three wines, from different areas and at different price points, though staying under $15 as the Weekly Wine Journal’s budget is not as robust as you might think.
Starborough, 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough New Zealand.
The nose on this wine has hints of lime and lemon grass, not an incredibly aromatic nose. On the palate the lime like acidity really pops, giving the wine a refreshing perk. The lemon grass that Sauv Blancs from Marlborough are well known for made an appearance in the mid palate, and was quite nicely balanced, not over powering. I enjoyed the tart crispness of this wine, a good straightforward, refreshing wine wine for a hot summer day.
Price: $11.99 | Alcohol 13% | 89 points Weekly Wine Journal
Washington Hills, 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, Washington State
This wine really surprised me right away. The nose is amazing. Big aromatics. Ripe Melon intermingled with the interesting perfume of Lychee. The palate features tropical fruits balanced with just enough acidity to keep it from being flabby. This wine was my favorite of the group
Price $10.99 | Alcohol 13.8% | 93 points Weekly Wine Journal
Barefoot, Sauvignon Blanc, California.
Over the years many people have told me how much they have enjoyed the Barefoot wines. They assured me they weren’t that bad. So I decided I would give them a try. Unfortunately they were all wrong. I found it difficult to detect a nose on this wine. The palate was one dimensional. It really just tasted like watered down kids apple juice, with an unpleasant hint of alcohol.
Price $ 5.99 | Alcohol % ? | 78 points Weekly Wine Journal
There you have it folks, 2 wines to enjoy and one to avoid. Have you tried any of these wines? What kinds of wines do you enjoy when the weather heats up?
Weekly Wine Journal 
Personally, I go in and out with Barefoot. I don’t think I’ve tried the Sauvignon Blanc. I find their Chardonnay to be pretty pleasing and their rosé, if I remember was not bad. I agree that there isn’t much of an aroma, though. And I stay far far away from their reds. It’s been years since I tasted them though. American wines are near impossible to find here.
I’d love to try that Washington Hills – the lychee sounds perfect on a warm day!
Can you recommend another SB like washington hills, I discovered it recently but you can no longer find it in the UK, it was the nicest white I had ever tasted