Domaine Millet Sancerre 2019

This Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley in France has citrus flavors of green apple and grapefruit. Medium body with well balanced tannins.

Wine maker notes: “Sancerre, Loire, France- This truly elegant estate-bottled Sauvignon Blanc does not try to overpower the palate, but shows remarkable depth and complexity with restraint and class. The bouquet is fragrant. Flavors of lime, lemon and apple linger on the long, soft finish. Very versatile.”

About Sancerre: “Sancerre is one of the great expressions of Sauvignon Blanc, made in any of 17 villages around Sancerre, at the upper end of France’s Loire Valley. The best Sancerre wines are dry and aromatic, offering minerality, citrus notes and brisk acidity unique to wines produced in the region.”

This bottle can be found at Total Wine for $29.99US, a fair price for this wine.

I served it at 54F without decanting. If you tend to favor Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, I would recommend you give the Loire Valley a try.

Domaine Lejeune Wine Tour

Domaine Lejeune Wine Tour

Today we visited Domaine Lejeune in Pommard Burgundy France. This is a fantastic tour!  The 90+ minute tour was free. We started with the barrel room, getting an explanation of their picking, sorting, crushing and fermenting of the grapes. Everything is done by hand, the crushing by foot and hand crushers.

Domaine Lejeune:   “This family domaine, which traces its ancestry back as far as 1783, nestles amongst the recently renovated buildings of the charitable Brotherhood of the Saint Sacrement.  Secularization imposed by the Revolutionary Government after the French Revolution meant the buildings were sold in 1793.  For five generations Domaine Lejeune passed from aunt to niece. It takes its name from Maxime LEJEUNE, and at the time of his death in 1864 it amounted to over 50 acres. It now belongs to the Jullien de Pommerol family. François Jullien de Pommerol (former oenology professor at Beaune’s Lycée Viticole) takes charge of the wineyard and the winemaking.  The cellar boasts many large, traditional oak fermentation vats, one of which, encircled by 17 hoops of white birch, is the oldest of its kind in the entire Burgundy region.”

Next we visited the cellar where the wine is aged for two years before bottling. The chateau also stores wine, previously purchased, for people throughout France. The oldest bottle currently stored is 1976.

We finished with a wine tasting. The tasting takes place in the bottling/labeling room. We tasted 4 whites, 3 reds and a liqueur. The reds included 2 Premier Crus that were outstanding!

You should reserve your tour ahead of time by emailing the vineyard. The address is on their website.  http://www.domaine-lejeune.fr/english.htm.

Attire is smart casual, pants, sweaters or long sleeve shirt.

Although many vineyards in Burgundy France do not charge for a tour, it is customary to buy some wine when you finish the tour. The wine here is very reasonable, prices ranging from €7,90 Euro for whites and as high as €48 Euro for their 2015 Premier Cru (very reasonable price for this wine).

The wines tasted are as follows:

– Bourgogne Chardonnay 2015

– Côte de Beaune Les Monsnières 2015

– Meursault Les Grands Charrons 2015

– Saint Aubin 1er Cru Les Frionnes 2015

– Pommard Village Les Trois Follots 2015

– Pommard 1er Cru Les Poutures 2015

– Pommard 1er Cru Les Argillières 2015

You will find reviews of these wines in future postings.

I highly recommend this tour if you are in Beaune or Pommard.

Pine Ridge Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay 2013

Pine Ridge Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay 2013

This is the first of three reviews on the wines I selected for my daughters wedding.

This is a Chardonnay from Carneros, my favorite area in the Napa Valley for Chardonnay. “Carneros is located in the southernmost edge of the Napa Valley, vineyards in the Carneros appellation benefit from the marine influence of nearby San Pablo Bay. Overcast mornings and cool afternoon breezes contribute to a slow, even development of the grapes, resulting in an optimal balance of sugar and acid. The shallow and rocky soil over a base of clay provides just enough nutrients to support vine growth and fruit maturity.”

The nose (back of the glass) has a very prominent green apple fragrance, a signature of Carneros.  This comes more to life on the first taste, and finishes with a hint of vanilla.

Wine Enthusiast gave it 92 points.  Wine Maker Notes:  “Gleaming brilliant gold, our 2012 Dijon Clones Chardonnay bursts with complex aromas of ripe green apple and yellow pear, intermingled with subtle suggestions of white flowers, salted caramel and honeyed graham cracker. The wine exhibits a rounded mouthfeel balanced by refreshing acidity and opens with flavors of fresh apple pie, grilled peach and tropical pineapple. leading into shades of toasted vanilla, lemon creme brulee and ground nutmeg that linger through the lengthy finish.”

This is an excellent choice if you enjoy bright, clean Chardonnay either from Carneros or favor Chablis (Chardonnay) from France.  A great value for $27.99 US.

Rudi Wiest Mosel Riesling 2013

Rudi Wiest Mosel Riesling 2013

This Riesling from Germany is crisp, clean and delightful.  You can taste green apple and pear as well as a hint of lemon, something I have not experienced in wine before.

Tasting note:
“You’ve just picked up a delightful Riesling from Germany, carefully selected and blended by importer Rudi Wiest. It features vibrant notes of green apple, pear, Meyer lemon and fine minerals laced with aromatic honeysuckle and orange blossom. The Mosel Riesling is a refreshing aperitif that also pairs well with diverse flavors, including Asian and Indian cuisine. Your friends will likely covet this refined Riesling, so feel free to share. Cheers!”

I served this before dinner for my guests that prefer a light, crisp, dry white like found in a Riesling.  At 10.5% alcohol, this wine is very easy to drink. I would recommend it for any Riesling lovers or if you are looking for a fresh light white wine either before dinner or served with something like fish.

I had this stored in the cellar at 58F, so I cooled it down for 10 minutes on ice in the freezer to bring it closer to 50F.

Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne Sauternes 2009

Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne Sauternes 2009

Had the opportunity recently to share dinner with a group of friends.  We decided to buy all the wine ahead of time and bring it to the French restaurant we were eating at in Montreal Canada.

We started with this white from Sauternes, in Bordeaux France.

Wine Spectator scored it 89 points on their 1-100 score.

Described as “Flashy, with quince and creamed yellow apple notes spiked with lively kumquat and tangerine notes.  The finish bounces alone nicely with good balance to the frank sweetness.  Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.”

Very crisp and clean, loved by everyone on the table.  Semillon 80%, Sauvignon 17% and Muscadelle 3%

I would closely associate this with a Chablis from France or a Chardonnay from the Carneros region of Napa Valley California.

For $40 US it was a great buy.

Chateau De Maligny Chablis 2008

Chateau De Maligny Chablis 2008

Today I am drinking a Chablis from France.  Chablis is a Chardonnay, but I find them to be much cleaner and crisper than a normal California Chardonnay.

“The Chablis region is the northernmost wine district of the Burgundy region in France. The grapevines around the town of Chablis are almost all Chardonnay, making a dry white wine renowned for the purity of its aroma and taste.”

A little about Chablis.  “Chablis is an historic wine-producing town in northern-central France. It produces light, dry white wines famed for their minerality and crisp acidity. AOC Chablis wines are produced exclusively from Chardonnay.

Chablis is located in northern Burgundy(Bourgogne), although the town and its vineyards are located a considerable distance (more than 60 miles/100 km) north-west of Burgundy’s main wine-producing areas around Nuits-Saint-Georges, Beaune, Chalon-sur-Saone and Macon. They are in fact closer to Sancerre (Loire) and Les Riceys(southern Champagne). Consequently, Chablis has a cooler climate than the rest of Burgundy, which contributes significantly to the style of wine its vineyards produce. The effects of terroir on wine can be seen more clearly in Chablis than almost anywhere else.

The light and dry description is very accurate. Often when I have people blind taste (especially big Chardonnay fans) two Chardonnay’s, one from California and one from France, France almost always wins.  Comparing the color, smell and taste, you will most often conclude that the French Chardonnay or Chablis is lighter in color and lighter on the pallet.

Wine Spectator gave it 88 points, describing it as “Full and rich, with oyster shell, melon, grapefruit and mineral on the back end.  Awkward on the finish, but otherwise balanced.  Best from 2011-2018.”

The grapefruit and mineral are both noticeable.  Both characteristics of a Chablis from France.  And for those wine drinkers that believe whites don’t last, this wine is still good in 2018, after 10 years, if stored properly.

I am serving this Chablis at 56F.  I would not recommend serving any cooler than 54F.

Listening to Doris Day sing in the background, just perfect!

Louis Laurent Vouvray 2012

Louis Laurent Vouvray 2012

This is a Chenin Blanc grape from Loire France. “Vouvray is the most famous and most respected appellation of the Loire Valley’s Touraine district. The title covers white wines of various styles (sweet, dry, still and sparkling), from eight villages around the medieval town of Vouvray, on the northern banks of the Loire.”

We have toured the Loire Valley of France, it is absolutely beautiful and well worth the trip anytime you are in France.

This wine was recommended to me as a perfect white wine to serve with Turkey. I am tasting it ahead of some future entertaining we will be doing in the next month. I will be serving this bottle at that Occasion.

I have heard people say that they “only drink red wine” or “only drink white wine”. I suggest if you are really interested in wine, the grape, then you should try expanding to enjoy all types. It is nothing more than flavor. It would be as limiting to say “I only like sweet things” or “I only like bitter things.”

“Chenin Blanc is a versatile white wine grape variety that has been cultivated in France for nearly 1300 years.”

One critic described this wine like this: 100% Chenin Blanc, Medium bodied with a nose of White flowers, tropical fruits and honey – ripe fruit palate with nice acid and minerality. Lovely match with light lunches, salad, spicy Asian dishes or seafood.

The flavors of tropical fruits and honey are very pronounced. This is a great value for $13.99 US and sure to be a good choice if you are serving Turkey anytime soon.

I would suggest serving this wine at around 50-52F. Not the normal 40F people serve white wines at (refrigerator temperature). White wine should not be served that cold, unless you are trying to hide the true flavors the wine maker had in mind when releasing it.

Frank Sinatra is singing “Put Your Dreams Away” from his album “This is Sinatra Vol. Two”. A fantastic song to listen to when drinking this wine.

Chateau St Jean Chardonnay 2012

This is a Chardonnay from the North Coast in Sonoma, California. “The winemaking estate is located at the foot of Sugarloaf Ridge in the Sonoma Valley near Kenwood, California. Founded in 1973, Chateau St. Jean has long been recognized as a leader in Vineyard Designated wines. Winemaker Margo Van Staaveren uses her 30 years of vineyard and winemaking expertise with Chateau St. Jean to highlight the best of each vineyard in the wines.”

Wine Spectator gives it 88 points and describes it as “Rich, offering rip Golden Delicious and Granny Smith apple notes, with pretty spice and light oak shadings.”

The apple flavors are obvious on the nose and with each taste. Different than the citrus flavors of grapefruit you might find in the Carneros region of Napa. I would describe this white as light and refreshing. Certainly not complex. Not bad on the deck on a warm summer evening, if you like dry crisp white wine.

If you are moving to dinner from here, and you want to stay with Chardonnay, I would suggest moving towards a more complex Chardonnay from Carneros in Napa or a Chablis from Burgundy France.

I am listening to Diana Krall sing “Gentle Rain” in the background as I enjoy this wine.