Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon with Crab Cakes
With an abundance of
delicious local seafood available here in the Pacific Northwest, it is the
perfect time of year to enjoy white wines and enjoy a perfect pairing. Oysters,
crab, mussels, shrimp and scallops are the immediate go-tos, but finfish
preparations are also popular.
Each of my seafood wine
columns will feature several wine varieties, with one or two being the main
focus. Today the carte du vin is dominated by Sauvignon Blanc, a grape that gained
it’s initial fame in Bordeaux but now is widespread and enjoyed in all corners
of the world. Some Semillon wines are included in the reviews as well.
Chef Ted crafted his
delicious signature crab cakes (heavy on the crab, light on the filler) using local,
fresh Dungeness crab and served with his own tasty remoulade sauce. This lightly flavored species is most delicious in
preparations that allow the delicacy of the crab meat flavor to show. Crab
cakes include quite a bit of seasoning and therefore a crab species with more
robust flavor might be preferred (in past years we have used blue crab lump
crab meat). The blue crab meat is no longer available from our past supplier.
Your Guide to Northwest Wine Touring
With wine touring season in
full swing, be sure to get direction and insights from the best online guide to
Northwest wineries at www.winesnw.com
DeLille Cellars 2017
Chaleur Blanc, Columbia Valley - $35
This wine is a classic
blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon that shows the best attributes of each
varietal. The complex aromas and flavors include a cornucopia of fruits, herbs,
mineral and hints of toast. It is a
full-bodied wine that worked very well with spicy crab cakes offering notes of
zingy lemon and the attending refreshing acidity. Perfectly structured for further aging if
desired. Delillecellars.com
Dry Creek Vineyard 2018
Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley - $20
This wine has an unusual
pedigree that adds up to a bright and flavorful pairing for almost any seafood
dish. Blended from 76% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Sauvignon Musque and 9% Sauvignon
Gris, it offers tropical aromas and flavors of pineapple, melon, citrus, guava
and stone fruits. It was a hit with my tasters and it should please you too!
Drycreekvineyard.com
Grgich Hills Estate 2016 Fume Blanc, Napa Valley - $31
Grapes for this wine came
from Grgich Hills’ vineyards in the southern, cooler part of the Napa Valley in
American Canyon and Carneros. The wine exhibits the classic Grgich structure
and balance with aromas and flavors of tropical fruits, citrus and mineral
along with nuances from oak aging: toasty cedar and vanilla – a nice complement
to Dungeness crab. Grgich.com
Pepper Bridge Winery 2018
Sauvignon Blanc - $36
Winemaker Jean-François
Pellet crafts a small production of this near-perfect seafood wine blending 93%
Sauvignon Blanc and 7% Semillon from Walla Walla Valley vineyards. The wine is
aged in neutral French oak and a concrete egg yielding delightful aromas and
flavors of ripe stone fruits, passion fruit and melon with a vein of citrus
running through to the crisp and balanced finish. Pepperbridge.com
Browne Family Vineyards
2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley - $18
If you’re in Walla Walla,
be sure to stop in at the Browne Family Vineyards tasting room at 31 E. Main
St. The location features wines from Browne Family, Ross Andrew, Waitsburg Cellars
and Cavatappi. A convenient patio is available for al fresco sipping. You might
try this rich and flavorful Sauvignon Blanc, offering fresh herbs, citrus and
passion fruit with hints of gooseberry and wet stone. Brownefamilyvineyards.com
Amavi Cellars 2018 Semillon, Walla Walla Valley - $24
This wine is a blend of 85%
Semillon and 15% Sauvignon Blanc, barrel fermented in 100% neutral French oak,
the character of dominant Semillon is mellow and refined due to meticulous
winemaking by Jean-François Pellet and his staff. Look for aromas of white
peach and lemongrass followed by flavors of tropical fruits, Meyer lemon and a
finish of crisp acidity and mineral. Great with crab cakes! Amavicellars.com
Cadaretta 2018 SBS Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon - $23
This vintage of the popular
Cadaretta SBS is a blend of 66% Sauvignon Blanc and 34% Semillon, and did not
see oak contact during any part of its production. The wine is a slightly richer version of
previous vintages offering herbs and citrus with notes of tropical fruit, melon
and hints of grass. Cadaretta.com
L’Ecole No 41 2017 Semillon, Columbia Valley - $15
The grapes for this wine
were sourced from respected vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley, including
Red Mountain, Yakima Valley, Walla Walla Valley and Royal Slope. The winemaker’s blend of 85% Semillon and 15%
Sauvignon Blanc allows for great varietal character of fig, honeysuckle and
lemongrass with hints of floral perfume and citrus. The full-bodied palate
suggests rich seafood dishes or light meats. Lecole.com
Black Stallion 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley - $26
Black Stallion Winery is
located in the Oak Knoll District on the east side of the Napa Valley on the
Silverado Trail. It was once home to the
Silverado Horseman’s Center. Black
Stallion Napa Sauvignon Blanc offers aromas and flavors of tropical pineapple,
melon and citrus with a lingering finish of crisp acidity and wet stone
minerality.
Three Rivers Winery 2017 Sauvignon Blanc - $18
Winemaker Holly Turner
crafted this fruity Sauvignon Blanc from grapes grown at Gamache Vineyard in
Washington’s Columbia Valley AVA. The
wine was aged for 3 months in French oak, 10% new. Look for light aromas of
tropical fruits, floral perfume and citrus leading to a crisp palate of kiwi,
jasmine and hints of spicy oak. Threeriverswinery.com
Noble Vines 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, 242, Monterey, CA - $13
This zesty Sauvignon Blanc
is named for the Sauvignon Blanc block in the winery’s vineyard in the San
Bernabe AVA, Monterey, CA. Winemaker James Ewart places great emphasis on
harvesting the grapes at just the right time to get the perfect balance of
flavor characteristics. Look for grassy lemon-lime, kiwi, stone fruits and
melon – nicely balanced to accompany seafoods.
Lobo Hills 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Yakima Valley - $18
Tony Dollar and his wife
Diana operate Lobo Hills winery out of their home in Seattle, finding an
enthusiastic following among the wine cognoscenti in this urban center. Tony
sources grapes for this wine from the Yakima Valley, usually Lonesome Springs and
Airport Ranch Vineyards. Bright citrus
on the nose and palate mingles with grassy herb and mineral to highlight the
seafood flavors without overwhelming. Lobohills.com
Season Cellars 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Southern Oregon - $20
This newer winery calls on
nearly 60 years of experience in the Southern Oregon wine industry. Season
Cellars is operated by Scott Henry IV and Jennifer Henry with the goal of
creating distinctive wines from grapes acquired from the areas best growers. Look for aromas and flavors of grassy herb,
lemon and hints of baking spice.
Bota Box NV Sauvignon
Blanc, CA - $20/3L
The strides that have been
made in box wines in the last decade are remarkable. Bota Box has led the way
with green packaging and recyclable containers, but most of all with a consistent
product that pleases the palate across a broad selection of wine varieties. If
you are having a seafood party, be sure to include this value-priced offering
for its citrus, lemongrass, stone fruit and melon flavors with bright acidity
on the finish. Botabox.com
French oak is increasingly costly for 2 reasons: first, the transportation cost to get the barrels to the U.S., and, the grain structure in French oak implies that it the oak must be 'split' versus sawn with American oak.
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