WBW #24: Loire Whites
For this two year edition of the ever popular Wine Blogging Wednesday, Alder, Uber blogger from Vinography.com, suggested we try the wines from the Loire, namely Chenin Blanc as opposed to Sauvignon Blanc. A great theme indeed, and one that most Americans don’t really appreciate, as Chenin Blanc is not a popular choice for most. But why shouldn’t it be? With variables from mineralty, to citrus notes, to off-dry with a hint of residual sugar, this grape can pair with a myriad of meals. Unfortunately, this is a varietal and or region that isn’t always available at the local mega mart, so you just might have to hunt it down at your finer wine retailer.
I headed down to the Wine Steward in Pleasantan, whose selection is diverse, and grabbed a bottle of the 2004 Clos Le Vigneau Vouvray White Table Wine Val de Loire. The Alcohol level was at a mere 12.5%, but it seemed to taste about as alcoholic as some 14-15% whit wines I’ve had from Napa. Your nose is greeted with Apple, Pear, and Apricots, with a light, slightly acidic taste that is full of lemon zest and minerals. A pretty straightforward, simple wine, with an O.K. finish, at $15 USD this isn’t a bad value at all.
One thing that continues to bug me about French wine labels is the missing varietal names on bottles that are labeled White or Red wine. Sometimes it’s nice to know the grape you are drinking so you can return to it in the future. Thankfully, someone at the Wine Steward was able to direct me to a White Wine that consisted of Chenin Blanc. Here’s to a knowledgeable wine staff.
Wine: 2004 Clos Le Vigneau Vouvray White Table Wine Val de Loire
Varietal: Chenin Blanc
Price: $15
Notes: Apple, Pear, and Apricots on the nose with a mineral / lemon zest flavor, crisp and clean with a smooth finish. 12.5% ABV
Score: 86 pts JAT
August 5th, 2006 at 11:25 am
You complain that French bottles do not indicate the grapes used; it is only true for AOC wines, and the reason is obvious (although you may not agree with it): in the French AOC system, the terroir is more important than the grape, and the French leave these mentions to the vins de pays.
The idea is that if you put the cépage (varietal) name on a label, people will compare it with other wines bearing the same varietal name, forgetting the origin. Mind you, a lor of French producers (especially exporters) regreat that they cannot use the name of the grapes, all the more so as their competitors from abroad can, and mostly do with French grape-names!
Anyway, Vouvray, Montlouis or Savennières (not to mention Coulée de Serrant) are much sexier names that chenin blanc. By the way, only foreigners add “blanc” to chenin or sauvignon, because any normal French wine drinker knows that chenin or sauvignon are white grapes.
August 8th, 2006 at 7:57 am
Thanks for your comments. Obviously, I am somewhat unfamiliar with French wines and the naming system, although it is of interest to me. So now I know, anytime a wine is labeled Vouvray, (or Montlouis, Savennières, or Coulée de Serrant) it is chenin. Merci!