Dona Paula Los Cardos Sauvignon Blanc

Wine: Dona Paula Los Cardos Sauvignon Blanc

Grape: Sauvignon blanc

Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Vintage: 2011

Price: $8.99

In the glass: Los Cardos Sauvignon Blanc has a clean, clear, light-citrine yellow color with a fine star-bright core going out into a faint yellowish to glass-clear rim definition with light-medium viscosity.

On the nose: There is fine citrusy and mineral-laden white fruit dominated by white currants, stone fruit, grapefruit and white grape, with hints of chalk and limestone as well as hints of Key lime pie and lemon Greek yogurt.

On the palate: It is such a pleasant white wine full of zesty citrus fruit, Mirabelle plums, white currants and touches of Granny Smith apples. The midpalate is where that classic integrated acidity comes to the fore and really gets the saliva activated, going into a solid and well-balanced limelike lingering finish.

Odds and ends: Finally, I’ve come across something other than a big full-bodied malbec from Argentina. While they are always highly drinkable, this time of year I am looking for lighter styles of wines to enjoy during the hottest month. After tasting through a flight of generally nicely balanced sauvignon blancs from all over the world, I settled on this one. It’s not like the fat ones from California, or the gooseberry ones from New Zealand, this one is a little more true to the classic mineral-rich style of the origins of this grape variety in the Loire Valley of France. In fact, this wine would perform well against French sauvignons. Vina Dona Paula is a diverse winery operation that makes several delicious lines of wines, but none as distinctive for the varietal characteristic as this sauvignon blanc. The price point is right, the weather is hot and this wine should be served cool at 45 degrees Fahrenheit, just by itself or with a nice plate of oysters. Drink it now through 2014.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.