December 10, 2019
There’s hip wine and then there’s really really good hip wine. Jacky Blot and his son “J.P.” grow Chenin Blanc in Montlouis, Loire Valley. 40+ year old vine fruit picked at perfect maturity. A “Pet Nat” or Petillant Naturel: single fermentation (in barrel), transferred to bottle to finish its single ferment. Triple Zero as in zero chaptalization, zero liqueur de tirage and zero dosage. (email me if you need definitions on these.) I love this wine. Chenin’s pear and tropical fruits peek through with white dusty earth, crisp seaside air and peach skins. It’s very dry and very flavorful, which […]
March 14, 2018
100% Chenin Blanc. Crisp and brooding nose of bright citrus, pears, white spring flowers and chalk. Taste is 2 parts soil, 1 part fruit: river rocks, oyster shells, lemon-apple, quince. The concern is that this will be dry to the point of being mean, but not so. The lees-aging in barrel gives just the right amount of flesh. Really delicious, and a bargain for this quality and character. A Pet-Nat, which is single fermentation that finishes in bottle. 100% Chenin Blanc, called Triple Zero because it is Zero Chaptalization, Zero Liqueur at bottling, Zero dosage. Ferment and aged 2 years […]
February 18, 2018
The Bernard Fouquet Vouvray “Cuvee Silex” 2016 is an excellent example of ripe, tangy, slightly exotic and off-dry Vouvray. Candied lemon peel and light caramel nose moves to pear slices, pineapple chunks and perky acidity in the mouth. Exotic, lush and chock-full of fruity goodness, the sweetness lifts the generous flavors while not coming across as sweet. I think a sweet/salty jumbo shrimp dish (prosciutto, fruit salsa, toasty garlic) would be a great match. Check out all our recommended Loire Valley wines here.
January 30, 2018
A rare bird, White Chinon (Loire Valley) is all Chenin Blanc, which accounts for just 2% of vineyard land in the appellation. You’d think something so good and so rare would be more expensive. Such a lovely white, and for what it’s worth my perfect style for a house wine. Chalky, apple skin, white flower nose turns to flavors of pear-apple, citrus, lemon blossoms and crushed rocks. Light and intense, this is an ideal partner for most shellfish.