This Week’s Tasting
Wed June 6 5:00 - 7:00
Summer Seafood Whites

Six light and not-so light wines this week, all designed to accompany seafood alfresco, all chosen to give sophisticated flavor at surprisingly reasonable price.
The Revue du Vin de France’s Guide to the Best Wines of France 2009 gives two stars to the some famous Burgundy domaines, Anne Gros, Billaud -Simon, Montille, Roumier, but also to the small Goisot estate in Burgundy’s Cote d’Auxerre.
The Cote d’Auxerre? Where the heck is that?
Where, abutting Chablis to the southwest, is less important than its soil, the same as Chablis’ chalk and also what Ghislaine and husband Jean-Hugues Goiset do with their Chardonnay on it. Their low yields and rigorous biodynamic agriculture make for wines that, according to the RVF, “astonish with their intensity and richness, even the simple wines.”
I was struck by the complexity and power of their not-so-basic 2007 Bourgogne Blanc Cote d’Auxerre. It had more nuance and articulated minerality than many of the highly touted 2007 Chablis I have tried. It would partner the same shellfish and white fish that Chablis’ do, but more interestingly and with less cost than many.
The Chardonnay grape gets its name from the town of Chardonnay in the northern part of Burgundy’s Maconnais. The Cave de Lugny, one of the best cooperatives in the Maconnais, has vineyards there on limestone and clay soils. Their 2006 is fetching for its purity, delicacy, and poise. Drink it with white fish, even chicken.
Muscadet is the quintessential seafood wine, grown near and for the oysters of the country around the seaport of Nantes. In the last few years it has developed some pretension both production and price. I like it just the way it was, strong, direct, lemony-dry and inexpensive. Claude Branger’s 2007 Domaine La Haut Fevrie, is one of the last of that breed. At under $12, it is one of the least expensive Muscadets around, but with more solid character than many more expensive ones.
Chenin Blanc, particularly in its drier versions, is great with either seafood or chicken. Less well known than other grapes, Chenin can offer much more than its cost. Case in point: the 2007 Domaine des Guyons Saumur Cuvee Vent du Nord. Saumur is the town in the Loire upriver from Nantes. French critic Michel Bettane called this North Wind Cuvee “an absolutely racy gourmet’s delight.” I agreed on first taste. It is powerful, balanced with good acidity and depth, a steal at 14.99.

Peter writes;
Borgo di Colloredo is a fine property run by brothers Enrico and Pasquale Di Giulio in Molise, a small region on Italy’s eastern, Adriatic coast. Enrico and Pasquale are perfectionists. Falanghina is a white grape variety grown in Campania and Molise and gives a very fresh, floral and flavorful dry wine.
Soave is a white wine from a delimited zone just outside of Verona whose fineness is not well understood in this country. Brother and sister Alberto and Chiara Coffele run one of the very finest properties in the zone. Their wines give great expression to the native Garganega grapes and represent an affordable luxury.

White

2007 Domaine La Haut Fevrie (Claude Branger) Muscadet de Sevre et Maine; Color: pale yellow green; Aroma: rounded light mineral, lemony, fleshy; Mouth: bright acid zingy, very rich, thick, nice intensity, firm, acid, clean long finish, very direct; Very Good 11.99; Mixed Case, 10.79; Case, 10.19

2007 Cave de Lugny Chardonnay de Chardonnay; Color: very light gold; Aroma: clean rather stony-flat mineral firm, light pretty fruit; Mouth: fleshy clean light acid pretty unoaked nicely ripe, good acidity, firm light finish; Very Good 13.99; Mixed Case, 12.59; Case, 11.89

2007 Goisot Bourgogne Cotes d'Auxerre Biodynamic; Aroma: clean rather racy, light mineral nicely earthy, clean powerful; Mouth: very fine acidity a lactic note, clean lightly rounded fruit, firm minerality, powerful thrust but light on its feet, long pure finish; Very Good Plus 18.99; Mixed Case, 17.09; Case, 16.14

2007 Domaine des Guyons Saumur Cuvee Vent du Nord; Color: medium gold; Aroma: heady spicy, very clean, and rich, fresh light, a touch of spice; Mouth: fleshy citrus, soft, clean acidity, bright , fleshy firm, but long finish firm, fruity, quince & citrus; Very Good Plus 14.99; Mixed Case, 13.49; Case, 12.74

2007 Borgo di Coloredo Falanghina: Pale yellow with green highlights. Intense, fresh floral and green fruit aromas. Medium bodied with melon, pear and apple blossom flavor. Persistent and clean finish. Very Good Plus 18.99; Mixed Case, 17.09; Case, 16.14

2007 Coffele Soave Classico: Bright straw, light yellow. Apple, melon and floral aromas. Concentrated and persistent fruit flavors with lively acidity. Long, clean finish. Very Good Plus 17.99/bottle 16.19/mixed case 15.29/case

6/3 Summer Seafood Case: Two each of the above wines at a special price of $166
(that’s only 13.83 a bottle)