WINE REVIEW: Unshackled 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, CA ($27)

by Andrew Chalk

From the company:

“Unshackled officially launched in early 2020 and provides a well-priced option for wine drinkers looking to further explore—or discover for the first time—the allure and rule-bending ethos of parent brand The Prisoner Wine Company. Each wine in the portfolio is sourced from California’s Central Coast and North Coast wine growing regions, with SRPs all under $30. Unshackled honors the eye-catching labels that The Prisoner Wine Company is known for with each bottle being adorned with a metallic codex debossed with details that hold the key to the wine’s appellation, varietal and vintage.”

The label design is certainly engaging. Like the wheels on an enigma machine from the WW2 era. The wine is judiciously constructed as well. Not as acidic or raw as its antipodean counterparts from New Zealand. Boosted with fruit from the temperate-dwelling chenin blanc grape and mediterranean climate roussanne it will appeal to chardonnay drinkers as well as rewarding being quaffed without food. With food, turn to white fish or poultry.

TASTING NOTES

Appearance: Straw;

Nose: Meyer lemon, white peach, white flowers, herbaceousness;

Palate: Herbaceous, lemon, rich texture in mouth, medium-plus acid. Not as acidic as New Zealand examples.

Sample.