The 2010 Justin Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from 2 vineyards, one on the West side of Paso Robles and the other on the East side of the Paso Robles AVA in San Luis Obispo County, California. The Justin in Justin Vineyards & Winery is Justin Baldwin, a former investment banker, who in 1981 decided to grow Bordeaux-style wines in Paso Robles. The 2010 vintage saw a combination of heavy rains, high heat and uncommonly cool temperatures during the growing season, but the cool weather held off harvest (their latest harvest ever) until the grapes slowly and fully developed. This wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks and then aged another 5 months in topped off stainless steel tanks. The alcohol content is 13.5%. I found the Justin Sauvignon Blanc on sale for $9.99, but prices on the internet vary from $12 to $18.
The color is a glistening, pale golden yellow. The nose is strong and vibrant, peach, pear along with cantaloupe, key lime and lemon drop candy. This is a dry Sauvignon Blanc with a silky mouthfeel and an interesting mix of subdued mellow fruit and tart citrus. It starts with mix of peach and lime, pear and orange and tart, crisp lemon. The mid palate brings sweet and sour pineapple, then very tart tangerine. The acidity will have you smacking your lips, but it does not go overboard. The finish is full and long.
The Justin Sauvignon Blanc is a wonderful taste of Paso Robles, it favors the Bordeaux style of Sauv Blancs, not the New Zealand style ( I just attended a value Bordeaux tasting, So Bordeaux Sauv Blanc is fresh in my memory)). Many White wines, in the value price range, are blends of grapes from many vineyards, even if all the grapes are the same varietal, so the wine tends to not vary in taste from year to year. The Justin Sauv Blanc is sourced from just 2 vineyards, so vintage variations can cause the character of the wine to fluctuate from vintage to vintage. The 2010 Justin Sauv Blanc is delicious and would be an excellent choice to bring to that hot, new BYOB restaurant in town.
