Since the beginning of this year, Cheers has inaugurated a joint Cheers/Beverage Dynamics National Wine Panel, a distinguished group of restaurant and hotel beverage professionals, including sommeliers, beverage directors and wine managers along with wine buyers and sellers at America’s best-known retail wine stores.
Grouped each month by varietal, the selections include notes compiled from the many selections made by our panelists. (A list of those participating can be found at the end of the section listing.) These selections include brief tasting notes, a star and numerical rating and the wine’s suggested retail price (which varies from market to market.)
For this wine tasting, we asked the panel to select a lineup of recently tasted sauvignon blancs or sauvignon blanc-based wines.
If you’re a beverage professional who would like to learn more about participating in our panel, call Jack Robertiello at 718-857-3660, or email him at jrobertiello@adamsbevgroup.com.
RATING SYSTEM
***** Five Stars (92-100)
A top-flight wine. Superior in taste and character and providing an outstanding price/value relationship.
**** Four Stars (86-91)
A very good wine and an excellent value. A wine for which customers will keep coming back.
*** Three Stars (80-85)
An above-average wine, at a reasonable price point, which many customers will enjoy.
** Two Stars (70-79)
An average wine.
* One Star (50-69)
A below-average wine.
SAUVIGNON BLANC
FIVE STARS
***** 96 Cakebread 2002 Sauvignon Blanc (California). An appealing grapefruit and lemon taste with a hint of spice. Very fresh and elegant with a crisp finish. $35
***** 96 Joseph Phelps 2001 Sauvignon Blanc (California). A full-bodied, balanced wine with fruity and slightly grassy aromas; flavors of melon, fig and tropical fruit with a hint of oak; a nice, clean finish. $20
***** 95 Cloudy Bay 2002 Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand). Tremendous fusion of tropical fruit, herbs and citrus; finishes with a hint of jalape