Summer Wine: Cimarone 3CV Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Today, another in our exploration of great wines for a hot day.  Yes, I’m keeping my nose to the wet grindstone in search of true relief in the dog days of summer.  This is the last of the Now And Zin Summer Wines series.

Cimarone Estate Wines planted the 3CV Vineyard in 2001 in the warm east end of the Santa Ynez Valley.  It’s in the Happy Canyon AVA of Santa Barbara County.  The vineyard is home to Bordeaux varietals as well as some Rhone and Italian grapes.  Just over five and a half acres of the 26-acre plot is devoted to Sauvignon Blanc.

This wine is quite refreshing, especially on a hot summer day.  It’s a pale yellow in the glass and gives a nose of grapefruit, limes and wet rocks.  So far, so great.  On the palate, a very nice acidity jumps out first.  The fruit is laced with minerality, as it is on the nose.  Citrus flavors dominate, as fresh as you want them.

I’ll pair the 3CV Sauvignon Blanc with salmon, shrimp or salads.  It’s great with just a handful of almonds, too.  Enjoy, and happy Labor Day!