At first sip, this very pale citrine-colored Sauvignon Blanc actually reminded me of Chardonnay. I know, I know, but it's important to be truthful, yes? And I admit, freely, I don't know what I'm talking about. But once the wine warmed a little—I do think, honestly it was really several degrees colder than it should have been—it opened up, and was much more complex and yes, much more like Sauvignon Blanc. It shifted from acidic to slightly sweet peach and mango flavors, with the faint herbal-grassy hint I like so much with Sauvignon Blanc. The aroma too was decidedly fruity; peach and ripe pear. I note that the Columbia Crest Web site makes a point of saying that some of the wine was barrel-aged, and that "Extreme caution was exercised to prevent malolactic fermentation, thus preserving the crisp acid and fresh flavors."

I liked this wine, very much. It lists for around $13.00; we found it at a local Fred Meyers for $5.99. That's practically a steal. I'm going to see if I can find a 2006 bottle hiding somewhere, to compare the two years directly; I think that could be quite interesting and a lot of fun.