2025 Vin Vif, Sauvignon Blanc, Central Coast.
This all new label, Vin Vif, has just released their exotic and intensely tropical Sauvignon Blanc out of the Central Coast and its a tasty crisply dry Summer white with juicy lemon/lime, passion fruit, guava and mango highlights, along with a touch of melon, grapefruit, tangy herbs and white flowers on the lighter framed medium bodied palate. Made to be fresh and easy, this light straw/gold hued Sauvignon Blanc is a super beach or poolside, non-pretense quaffer that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but quality and value is all there. Sourced from vines set on loamy, sandy soils and influenced by the near by Pacific Ocean, this wine celebrates its California style and expressive nature, being nothing like New Zealand or the Loire Valley in the glass. Maybe because of the ripeness, yeast strain and or clones, this tank raised Sauvignon Blanc tastes completely different, again pumping out that tropical profile, while also giving loads of mouth watering acidity to preserve vibrant refreshment from start to finish.
New on the wine scene, Vin Vif is a personal project of Xavier Arnaudin, one of the partners in Santa Barbara’s Union Sacré winery, who recently created this fun label of approachable Central Coast offerings, like this Sauvignon Blanc. Vif can be translated to mean an energetic and lively person who thrives on movement and invites adventure. After spending 20+ years in the region’s vineyards and cellars, French-born winemaker Xavier Arnaudin, originally from the Rhône Valley, hasn’t lost an ounce of his love for this hilly, oceanside landscape, that he has made his home. His distributor J & L Wines says he created Vin Vif as a tribute to the region’s windswept vineyards and to some of the region’s more under-appreciated grape varieties, which includes Cinsault, Albariño and Gamay, as well as this Sauvignon, a red blend and a Rosé so far. The Vin Vif wines are meant to be drunk young and are eager to please a wide range of tastes, they look to be delicious everyday day wines, perfect for picnics, casual gatherings and excellent bistro by the glass choices, like this Sauvignon Blanc. These wines are just starting to hit the market and you’ll see them popping up soon, so keep an eye out.
($20 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive