Tag Archives: Kono

Wine of the week: Kono Sauvignon Blanc 2021

Kono sauvignon blanc bottle
Kono Sauvignon Blanc 2021/$10-$19

This New Zealand white is one more example of the failings of wine availability

In 2013 – yes, 2013 — I reviewed this wine and wrote: The Kono is more than just another one-note grapefruit effort, and offers quality at a terrific price.

So why did it take almost 10 years to review the wine again?

We all know the answer to that, don’t we? The three-tier system and how it screws up wine availability. As I told the PR person who sent me the wine: I haven’t seen it Dallas for so long that I figured that no one made it any more.

Fortunately, I was wrong. The 2021 Kono ($12, sample, 13%) offers the same value and quality that it did almost a decade ago. It remains more than just another New Zealand supermarket sauvignon blanc, one of those cute label “Bay” wines that costs $8 and tastes like it.

Yes. there’s plenty of grapefruit, but it’s more white than pink. And, as all well-made Kiwi sauvignon blancs, there’s a hint of something tropical in the middle, as well as that wonderful crisp finish.

If it’s not a candidate for the Hall of Fame next year, it’s something almost as rare: A quality, dependable supermarket white wine that hasn’t been sugared up.

Imported by Total Beverage Solutions

Mini-reviews 89: The Wine Curmudgeon has questions

Mini-reviews 89Reviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the final Friday of each month.

This month, I have questions that the wines can’t answer.

• Tasca D’Almerita Lamùri 2014 ($18, sample, 13.5%): This Italian red offers about $10 worth of Sicilian nero d’avola at twice the price, and it‘s about as Sicilian as a Paso Robles red blend. My question: Why did I get it as part of a Sicilian wine promotion when it isn’t very Sicilian?

• Kono Sauvignon Blanc 2015 ($14, purchased, 13%): This New Zealand white offers $10 worth of Zealand sauvignon blanc and its citrus flavors at one-third more the price. My question: How could this vintage be so much less enjoyable than the 2012?

• Les Portes de Bordeaux Rose 2015 ($10, purchased, 12.5%): This French pink wine is not exceptional, but tastes like it should (freshness, red fruit) and is yet another reason why rose is always a good value. My question: How can this be, in the history of the blog, the first Trader Joe’s wine I can recommend?

• Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2015 ($10, purchased, 13%): A French red that was too tart and not very Beaujolais-ish, without any of the round and fruity flavors that should be there. My question: How can anyone at Jadot, one of the most important producers in France, think this is what this wine should taste like?

Wine of the week: Kono Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Kono NEW BottleNew Zealand sauvignon blanc, a hot commodity in the 1990s, is mostly just another part of the wine landscape these days. Those of us who drink it know what to expect — citrus flavors, including grapefruit and sometimes a lot of it, a good price, and not much else. This doesn’t make it bad wine; just predictable, with the advantages and disadvantages that goes with that.

Which is why I was so surprised by the Kono ($11, sample, 13%) at a tasting for double-gold medal winners from the San Francisco International Wine Competitton. It was more than that, and at a price where many of the wines are one-note grapefruit efforts. Look for some citrus, of course, but also tropical fruit in the middle (mango?), and even a bit of green herb, believe it or not. It’s rounded, surprisingly complex, and a terrific value at this price.

Two other things worth nothing: First, the company that makes the wine is owned by Maoris, the indigenous people of New Zealand and who mostly aren’t in the wine business. Second, the company is very proud of its Wine Spectator score, 89 points for the 2011 vintage. This is another example of the fallacy of scores — how could the wine get a double gold and be worth less than 90 points?

Highly recommended, and a candidate for the 2014 $10 Hall of Fame (coming in a month) if I can find it somehere for $10.