Last night my husband and I dined at Hawthorn in the Upper Kirby District of Houston for the first time and I was served a wine that I have been thinking about since that first sip, so I had to share it with you.
I was at the restaurant initially to learn more about their virtual sommelier wine list and their wine program, but I’ll have to tell you more about that later.
Today, I need to tell you about that wine I tried.
Soon after arriving, Cory Graff, Hawthorn’s operating partner, took me into the wine cellar, showed me the new wine lockers for regular guests, and asked me if I preferred to try a white or red. I told him I was up for whatever he would like to pour and, I don’t know how he did it, but he most certainly made the right choice for me.
He grabbed a bottle with a pale yellow label and told me a bit about Modus Operandi, a smaller production winery in Rutherford, Napa Valley, California and its Sauvignon Blanc.
I was poured a glass and took it in.
It definitely had that clean taste of a Sauvignon Blanc, but had a much fuller body and richer flavor than I was expecting. There wasn’t any grassiness, and it was was smooth and velvety, with nice minerality. The finish was long, rich and delicious and not what I would have expected from a Sauvignon Blanc.
Now, I am a fan of Sauvignon Blanc, but the ones I typically drink have much more a crisp flavor and a lighter body. There was something about this one that just seemed, well, luxurious.
I must not be alone in my assumptions that most Sauvignon Blancs are crisper, because Cory smiled and explained that the wine is in fact 100% Sauvignon Blanc, not a blend, as one might expect from that smooth texture.
If you’d like to try this wine at home, I could only find it on the winery’s website. But if you’re in Houston, you can could drop by Hawthorn and enjoy a bottle there while it lasts. If you like what I like, you’ll love it!
