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Kalin, Sauvignon Blanc, Potter Valley, 1997, $31.99 (current release)

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This will be like no other Sauvignon Blanc you’ve tasted. It is so unusual, more like Vouvray (Chenin Blanc) than a Sauvignon Blanc. If it resembles any Sauvignon Blanc, it would be a Graves from Bordeaux, and then only because of the Semillon blended with the Sauvignon. Though the wine is dry, it has such rich aromas and flavors that you will want to pair this with something substantial. You’ll notice that it weighs-in at nearly 14% alcohol. If you pair it with a main course, it could go with lobster or with pork with a sweet maple glaze. I’d be inclined to put this with some rich cheeses, from a double cream Camembert or Brie to a triple cream Epoisses or perhaps best, a creamy (not salty) blue cheese like Colston Bassett or more locally, Boucher Blue.

The following review was written by Robert Parker. “The 1997 Sauvignon Blanc Potter Valley has those honeyed, white corn, waxy nectarine notes, with medium to full-bodied flavors, gorgeously fresh acidity, and lots of fig and melon. It is a remarkable Sauvignon Blanc that tastes young in spite of already being 11 years of age! The reclusive and idiosyncratic Terry Leighton continues to release his wines a good ten years later than just about anybody else in California. He also continues to turn out one of the finest Sauvignon Blancs and longest-lived Chardonnays.”