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Le Cabas Sauvignon Blanc
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Gascony ain't just the Three Muskateers, though they have a place in our hearts as well. More than anything, Gascony is foie gras, delicious plums and apricots, rich dinners with Armagnac to follow. But the white grapes grown here are not just for great brandy, they have always been consumed as wine too and the last decade or so has seen an embrace of clean, cold winemaking to preserve the aromas of otherwise neutral grapes like Ugni Blanc or Folle Blanche. It's also seen new plantings of Sauvignon Blanc, a grape that requires no heroic measures to reveal its aromatic riches. Whats fun here is that these same winemaking methods generate something bright and vibrant but without much resemblance to other such Sauvignon Blancs (I'm looking at you, New Zealand), many of which have begun to seem like self-caricature. This one is comfortably itself, needing only an ice bucket and a big glass.
Type, Body & Flavor
Lobster Reef Sauv Blanc
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Match
Lobster Reef was started by the Brown family, grape growers since 1980. After a decade of producing grapes for others, they started their own project, Cape Campbell Wines. In 2002 they bought 200 acres in the Blind River sub-region of Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc’s sweet spot. Lobster Reef represents wines from that spot as well as some from some of their neighbors in Marlborough.
Type, Body & Flavor
Philippe Viallet Savoie Blanc
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Match
The Viallet family have been working the vineyards of Savoie since 1966, when Marcel and Yvonne purchased their first estate, Domaine Clos Réservé, in Apremont. Their son Philippe studied in Burgundy and then came back to help in 1984, pushing them into biodynamically farming at high altitude in the Savoie. They’ve embraced the local grapes, including the Jacquère grape, which we love for its crazy lemony acidity.
Type, Body & Flavor
Roche Bousseau Anjou Blanc
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Match
The beautiful Château de la Roche Bousseau was constructed in 1433, though much of it was destroyed after the French Revolution and rebuilt thereafter. Vines were planted in 1791 and have grown to almost 200 acres of Chenin Blanc and the other usual Loire Valley grapes. Chenin creates a simple enough wine in most places, but in Anjou the grape offers wines that can be complex, complete and exciting.
Type, Body & Flavor
Rocoiseau Viognier
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Match
More than a half century ago Viognier was forgotten; near extinct. In the 1980s things blew up, with acreages quintupling. There were a few successes, but most just didn't do justice to the grape. Winegrowers eventually found the ideal conditions, while the Viogniers of the Rhone have become pricey and sought-after. Elevated spots in the Pays d’Oc are this wine’s source; to a great degree this is the grape’s frontier now.
Type, Body & Flavor
Tatiana Guillot Macon Villages
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Match
Macon Villages was once a bigger deal, or at least it was once a wine that absolutely every restaurant had to pour by the glass. In the climate change era, Macon seems to be morphing from light and slightly generic to richer and even slightly buttery. But only slightly. Remember that Chardonnay in France is almost always more about the minerals than the butter; Macon is clean and crisp. We’re not quite to California richness yet, but who knows?
Type, Body & Flavor
Terrasses de la Mer
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Match
So, is it okay if I predict that Sauvignon Blanc becomes the world’s most widely planted grape in the next decade? In southern France, with the collection of hills, valleys, and plains rolling down to the Mediterranean, it thrives. Sure, the plains are not where you grow Sauvignon Blanc, but there are plenty of other spots where you do. There these wines are vibrant, expressive and tangy – and it’s rare that those three descriptors go together.
Type, Body & Flavor
Terrebrune Anjou Blanc
100%
Match
There are few certainties in wine. Opportunities can be vast. Some grapes do okay in lots of places other than their homes but truly shine in only one or two. Aside from South Africa, only in the Loire Valley is Chenin Blanc completely special. But even here, somebody might feel the need to gild the lily; Terrebrune adds 20% Chardonnay to its Chenin but the citric, honeyed intensity remains.
Type, Body & Flavor
White and Sea
100%
Match
It’s surprising that grapes like Sauvignon Blanc aren’t more widely planted in southern France, as they can be harvested fairly early to retain bright and citrusy acidity without really losing character or even complexity. Maybe wines like this will encourage more winemakers to try working with crisp and aromatic white grapes in Languedoc-Roussillon.
Type, Body & Flavor
Le Cabas Sauvignon Blanc
Gascony ain't just the Three Muskateers, though they have a place in our hearts as well. More than anything, Gascony is foie gras, delicious plums and apricots, rich dinners with Armagnac to follow. But the white grapes grown here are not just for great brandy, they have always been consumed as wine too and the last decade or so has seen an embrace of clean, cold winemaking to preserve the aromas of otherwise neutral grapes like Ugni Blanc or Folle Blanche. It's also seen new plantings of Sauvignon Blanc, a grape that requires no heroic measures to reveal its aromatic riches. Whats fun here is that these same winemaking methods generate something bright and vibrant but without much resemblance to other such Sauvignon Blancs (I'm looking at you, New Zealand), many of which have begun to seem like self-caricature. This one is comfortably itself, needing only an ice bucket and a big glass.
Type, Body & Flavor
Pairings & Occasions
Lobster Reef Sauv Blanc
Lobster Reef was started by the Brown family, grape growers since 1980. After a decade of producing grapes for others, they started their own project, Cape Campbell Wines. In 2002 they bought 200 acres in the Blind River sub-region of Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc’s sweet spot. Lobster Reef represents wines from that spot as well as some from some of their neighbors in Marlborough.
Type, Body & Flavor
Pairings & Occasions
Philippe Viallet Savoie Blanc
The Viallet family have been working the vineyards of Savoie since 1966, when Marcel and Yvonne purchased their first estate, Domaine Clos Réservé, in Apremont. Their son Philippe studied in Burgundy and then came back to help in 1984, pushing them into biodynamically farming at high altitude in the Savoie. They’ve embraced the local grapes, including the Jacquère grape, which we love for its crazy lemony acidity.
Type, Body & Flavor
Pairings & Occasions
Roche Bousseau Anjou Blanc
The beautiful Château de la Roche Bousseau was constructed in 1433, though much of it was destroyed after the French Revolution and rebuilt thereafter. Vines were planted in 1791 and have grown to almost 200 acres of Chenin Blanc and the other usual Loire Valley grapes. Chenin creates a simple enough wine in most places, but in Anjou the grape offers wines that can be complex, complete and exciting.
Type, Body & Flavor
Pairings & Occasions
Rocoiseau Viognier
More than a half century ago Viognier was forgotten; near extinct. In the 1980s things blew up, with acreages quintupling. There were a few successes, but most just didn't do justice to the grape. Winegrowers eventually found the ideal conditions, while the Viogniers of the Rhone have become pricey and sought-after. Elevated spots in the Pays d’Oc are this wine’s source; to a great degree this is the grape’s frontier now.
Type, Body & Flavor
Pairings & Occasions
Tatiana Guillot Macon Villages
Macon Villages was once a bigger deal, or at least it was once a wine that absolutely every restaurant had to pour by the glass. In the climate change era, Macon seems to be morphing from light and slightly generic to richer and even slightly buttery. But only slightly. Remember that Chardonnay in France is almost always more about the minerals than the butter; Macon is clean and crisp. We’re not quite to California richness yet, but who knows?
Type, Body & Flavor
Pairings & Occasions
Terrasses de la Mer
So, is it okay if I predict that Sauvignon Blanc becomes the world’s most widely planted grape in the next decade? In southern France, with the collection of hills, valleys, and plains rolling down to the Mediterranean, it thrives. Sure, the plains are not where you grow Sauvignon Blanc, but there are plenty of other spots where you do. There these wines are vibrant, expressive and tangy – and it’s rare that those three descriptors go together.
Type, Body & Flavor
Pairings & Occasions
Terrebrune Anjou Blanc
There are few certainties in wine. Opportunities can be vast. Some grapes do okay in lots of places other than their homes but truly shine in only one or two. Aside from South Africa, only in the Loire Valley is Chenin Blanc completely special. But even here, somebody might feel the need to gild the lily; Terrebrune adds 20% Chardonnay to its Chenin but the citric, honeyed intensity remains.
Type, Body & Flavor
Pairings & Occasions
White and Sea
It’s surprising that grapes like Sauvignon Blanc aren’t more widely planted in southern France, as they can be harvested fairly early to retain bright and citrusy acidity without really losing character or even complexity. Maybe wines like this will encourage more winemakers to try working with crisp and aromatic white grapes in Languedoc-Roussillon.
Type, Body & Flavor
Pairings & Occasions