The finish is dry and exuberant. A 6,000-case blend of 86% Sauvignon Blanc and 14% Semillon, the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc possesses crisp, melony, grapefruit, fig, and crushed rock notes. Medium-bodied, fresh, and lively, it should be enjoyed over the next 12 months. Readers looking for elegant, fruit-driven, reasonably complex, fairly-priced whites should check out these dry whites from the ever reliable Morgan Winery in Monterey. Tel. (831) 751-7777

Overpowering in feline aromas and flavors that obscure the underlying citrus and lemongrass. Just too unripe to earn a higher score.——S.H.(11/1/2009)—— 82