Casa Lapostolle 2002 Sauvignon Blanc

I came home late 1 evening. The dinner offresh crab didn't start before 10 PM. Ibegan eating it with mayonnaise, but thecombination soon became very heavy.Luckily, there was a bottle of 2002 CasaLapostolle Sauvignon Blanc also chilling inthe refrigerator. The wine comes from Chile.

It made a distinct impression—a nosethat combines the grassiness of sauvignonblanc with mineral notes reminiscent ofChablis balanced by flowers of Provence.Just a sip introduced an explosion of flavor,predominantly citrus and melon, accompaniedby bracing acids that brought to minda favorite of mine, Ladoucette from France.Casa Lapostolle is the perfect food wine,and the crab tasted all the better for it. Thetaste lingered for several minutes.

I continued with an additional half glass,which was a great dessert. When I decidedto buy some more Casa Lapostolle, thebiggest surprise was the price. It's quitemodest considering the quality.

Philip R. Alper, an internist andprofessor of medicine at the Universityof California at San Francisco,has been published in theWall Street Journal, Diversion, andInternal Medicine World Report.