Oct 22nd 2010: Beautiful Loire Valley Whites

There are many little nooks and crannies where wine is made in the beautiful Loire Valley of France but we’ll be focusing on some of the better known regions. One of the truly noble white grape varietals is Chenin Blanc and we’ll be featuring this grape from Savennieres, Vouvray, Anjou and Montlouis. The wineries selected for two of these are the standards by which all others are measured; Domaine Baumard (Savennieres) and Domaine Huet (Vouvray). We’ll also pour a Chenin from Montlouis Sur Loire from a biodynamic producer that I had never tasted before yesterday. The wine simply blew my mind! Chenin Blanc is capable of improving for 20+ years when stored properly and can outlive many a red wine. I have enjoyed many and I would encourage you to lay some away. There probably isn’t a better value in all of wine considering that the Baumard Savennieres is $21 and will create Nirvana if held for 10+ years. Try to find a Bordeaux that will come close to that.

We’ll also be pouring the other famous Loire white in a delicious Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly Fume. Flinty, mineral, herbaceous and oh so slurpable this variety is generally meant to be consumed in it’s youth but, that said, there are always the exceptions.

And finally, speaking of value, we have the Melon grape giving life to what’s considered the perfect wine with oysters and shellfish, Muscadet.

If you can’t find something to like in this lineup heaven help you!

THE LINEUP

09 Chateau L‘ Aiguilette, Muscadet Sevre et Maine       $10

09 Ch. De la Roulerie, Chenin Blanc    $12

06 Domaine Baumard, Savennieres          $21

08 Gitton, Pouilly Fume “Clos Joanne d’Orion”      $30

08 Clos de Volagre, Montlouis Sur Loire       $21

PREMIUM POUR($4)

08 Domaine Huet, Vouvray “Le Mont” Demi Sec    $38

Sandy