Today's recommended wine
Rodney Strong Vineyards, 2008 Charlotte's Home Sauvignon Blanc, $15
Charlotte's Home, named after founder Rod Strong's wife, continues to be the source for these estate grapes, along with other estate vineyards. "Estate" means the vineyard is owned by the winery. The wine has always been a stand-out: tart and dry, crisp, with a river of midpalate fruit. Sauvignon Blanc has so many guises today. This one is an elegant melon, citrus and herbs on the nose, and all those effects are magnified on the palate. The herbs and citrus and other tropical fruits are like trumpets, culminating in a big lemon/lime-grapefruit-minerality explosion when you swallow -- the "so-called" finish. There's no oak. It's all fruit. What a lovely match with poached, grilled or sauteed fish, or light pasts or chicken. You have to love tart-dry and tropical notes to appreciate this one.
