Sensas
Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Majestic £5.99 (2 bottle price)

This splendid Sauvignon Blanc is a great buy: it more than proved itself as an aperitif in the 90 degrees Fahrenheit warmth of last Sunday afternoon in the garden. Light gold in the glass, green apple aromas seemed to waft a cooling scent to my nose. There was more too, a hint of fresh green grass. On the palate, in the expected, very welcome light body, there appeared a near-perfect balance between delicate flavours of fruit — the classic green gooseberries for this grape — and subtle lemon-skin notes giving excellent, refreshing acidity. A slightly fuller effect then came, followed by a good and lingering finish. The makers have achieved all this by Lees aging, allowing the juice to rest on the grape skins, as with the best Muscadet, which much contributes towards to the complexity the taste buds encounter and the aromatic element. Another favourable point: it is only 12% Alcohol by Vol. Perfect with cold roast salmon. Produced in Côtes de Gascogne, formerly a Vin de Pays, now under the new European classification an IGP (in English, PGI, “Protected Geographic Indication”) it comes from the department of Gers. This forms a part of the Region of Midi-Pyrénées with its splendidly varied scenery: Toulouse is the historic capital.
Graham Gendall Norton