Dear Friends of the Vine,
This is the 2nd of our post-sabbatical recommendations: A superb and affordable white Burgundy:
From time to time we taste a potpourri of wines presented "double-blind," i.e. no information at all about the wines before tasting. The style, origin and quality can vary widely if not wildly. Normally, tasting a jumble of differing wines can cause confusion and tentativeness in judgment, but this democracy really keeps you on your vinous toes, so to speak. And by returning to the wines several times over you are able to uncover the gems; you end up zoning in on the wines of quality, balance and individuality: the wines you want to taste again and again.
So we are delighted to recommend a wine that turned out to be a splendid St. Veran from the Macon-- the southernmost region for growing
Chardonnay in Burgundy. We have written about several outstanding wines from the various villages within the Maconnaise before. If there are better
values in the world of white wine it would be hard to imagine what they might
be. Admittedly, the Loire Valley gives the Macon a run for its money in term
of
price/quality rapport. But when it comes to gorgeous, mouth-watering,
food-friendly Chardonnays the Macon is king.
The first aspect of the wine which drew us was the rich golden, green-tinged hue. Yes friends, color in a wine can be an indicator of quality. Not always but often enough. Then there was the arresting bouquet of citrus, apple, lightly toasted nuts and essence of wild mushroom. Sunny Chardonnay to be sure, but free of new world exotic fruitiness and spice. In the mouth the wine is a delicious combination of concentrated, yet restrained fruit flavors intermingled with minerals, juicy acidity and white pepper. The chewy, mouth-coating texture of the wine is especially inviting. Altogether a winning wine. Frankly, even though served blind, it was not difficult to identify its general sense of place. St. Verans, usually more serious than the wines made in the various villages of the Macon, can be a little sullen and even bitter at times. But not this one! Indeed we have rarely tasted a St. Veran that was so inviting and generous.
This lovely and serious wine is made by the husband wife team Agnes and Bernard Leger-Plumet. The estate was established in 1850 by Agnes
Plumet's great great great grandfather but only just started being exported to
the
USA 2 years ago. The vines from the 8 acres of St Veran owned by the
estate range from 50 to 100 years of age. This may account for the depth of
color and flavor of the wine. The soils are a blend of marl, limestone and
clay. This translates into the fine grained acidity and firm mineral
underpinning of this juicy white Burgundy, making it an ideal partner for sauced fish
and shell fish preparations and creamy cheeses. This is an exciting white
Burgundy by any standards. The moderate price makes it all the more appealing.
2008 Saint Veran Domaine du Chalet Pouilly
$21.85
Bob "The chewy, mouth-coating texture of the wine is especially inviting" Millman
Posted by: MaryRebecca Taylor | 09/26/2010 at 09:47 PM