Rock over London, Rock on Touraine

Summer is nearly gone, and I'm kind of pissed off about it. I don't really have a legit reason to be, though. I did get to do a lot of cool stuff. I camped all around Michigan's lake shore, including during an exceptional trip to Drummond Island.

Ultimately, it's easy to see the time hurry by. Working in the wine industry, we all start gearing up for the holidays pretty early. It's August, and plans are in the mix. We can all feel that transition starting, and there's a lot of great things that go along with it.

We don't sell a great amount of red wine in the summer. And hey, I've drunk exactly one bottle of red wine since Memorial Day, but probably about a case of rosés and 2-3 cases of whites. The latest adventure into finding an excellent but inexpensive Sauvignon Blanc led me to Loire. Usually, joyous and lively fruit is not part of the equation for *any* wine from Loire under $15. It simply does not come that cheap to us here in Michigan.

Domaine de la Charmoise is located in AC Touraine, a much more general (less lauded) area within the Loire. Really, it's a growing area around the city of Tours (about 13,000 acres worth of vines). Some of the better regarded areas within the AC Touraine are allowed to add the village name onto the bottle. Domaine de la Charmoise is not one of those examples.

Domaine de la Charmoise does come with some credentials. Henri Marrionet is the producer, and has honed in on crafting some good value-oriented wines from a region known for Sauvignon Blanc (usually for more than $20) from Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé.

Today's Sauvignon Blanc was decent. Some minerality and lemon on the nose, but the poor little guy didn't have a shot at complexity or depth. The body continued on as such: straightforward conflation of lemon and mineral. Yeah, it was refreshing (even with a slightly peculiar vegetal finish). But this was not an interesting gem wrested from obscurity.

Totally drinkable, totally enjoyable. Totally fine wine to drink on the porch and watch your neighbors change a tire.

Domaine de la Charmoise Touraine Sauvignon Blanc, 2006: 7.5 ($11-16)

Pairs with "Summer Breeze" by Seals & Crofts, or perhaps a little Trampled Rose from Robert Plant & Allison Krauss.

French Whites amidst Crosstown Traffic

Whites from France always seem to be unpredictable. Well, they seem to because it's pretty easy to not know what to expect. If you want to talk about Sancerre, you might think "well...it's Sauvignon Blanc. I know what Sauvignon Blanc tastes like." But Sancerre is nothing like SB from New Zealand. And whites from Rhone are nothing like anything else.

Ultimately, French whites across the board might be what I get most excited about. There's so much to learn. So much variety and values (although the latter isn't always so easy to find).

I got my hands on a few recently, and damn it was a good time.

Vieux Chateau Gaubert Graves Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2006:8.6

Graves is an appellation in Bordeaux never known for it's pristine elegance or top-of-the-line wines. That's usually left to places like Pauillac, St. Julien, and Pomerol, to name a few. Graves really has been a place to go for a trustworthy Bordeaux that's a fraction of the price of the others. And you'll see both whites and reds from Graves, which is kind of a rarity for appellations in Bordeaux.

Chateaux Gaubert's white was a great surprise. Part Sauvignon Blanc, part Sémillon, it was actually a little more round in body than most white Bordeaux seem to be. instead of part raciness, part minerality, I really found some elegance to this, but rather in a fresh fruit kind of way. There was some nice grassy notes on the nose, along with some strong lemon and a hint of basil. Thankfully, the actual fruit of the wine, the taste, was pretty harmonius to these notions. And some herbal spice on the finish added some more nuances.

Solid, solid wine. Not fickle, not too coy. Fresh, lush, and totally consumable, even with a bit of grit. ($12-17)
-pairs with: "The Rolling People" by The Verve.

William Fevre Chablis Champs Royaux, Burgundy, France, 2005: 8.8

I loved this Chardonnay. Loved it.

The problem is that it's not really complex. What you do get is an intense, but kind of sleek wine. Chablis is never cheap, and this is no exception. But it could be worth the cash if you're a fan of precise fruit and jolting minerality. Cause damn, kids, it's in here. Beautiful pear, green apple and a saltiness really define this Burgundy, through and through. And this is light years away from the stylings of Napa. This is haunting old world Chardonnay. I love it. But man, you don't want to fall in love with it, unless you can find a good deal. ($28-34)
-pairs with: "Seamus" by Pink Floyd.

Chateau de Montfort Vouvray, Loire, France, 2005: 8.0

This isn't the kind of Vouvray you see at your local Kwik Stop.

Granted, there are great Vouvrays out there that are sweet, but there surely are some excellent dry Vouvrays as well. That's the funny thing about Vouvray. It's all about diversity. It's 100 percent Chenin Blanc, and it's a good one. There's not much under the covers with it, but what you get is nice: flinty, with a mellow apple approach. Juicy, fun, with only a touch of earth. A pretty decent buy, methinks. ($12-15)
-pairs with: "The Day John Henry Died" by Drive-By Truckers.

Pascal Jolivet Pouilly-Fumé, Loire, France, 2005: 7.1

This was a bit disconcerting to me.

I still put this in my "likely enjoyable (before Elton John met coke)" category. But not by much. Especially when you see the price tag. One Hundred percent Sauvignon Blanc, Jolivet's wine is purely a smoky, gutty, racy wine. But it's feisty as all getout. I'm starting to believe that Sancerre/Pouilly Fumé is more to my taste when it's older. ($24-29)
-pairs with: "Popular" by Nada Surf.

-Justin

Sauvignon Blanc in the People's Republic

Finally, we returned to the glorious evenings of brown-bagged wines and late-night ballooned diatribes. One thing has nothing to do with the other, of course.

8 Sauvignon Blancs, this time around. And the results, as always were halfway expected and halfway a surprise.

First place: Forefathers Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2004 - 9.1



It's not a real shock that a New Zealand SB would show in first place. Sauvignon Blanc's from Hobbit Land end up being relatively overt with their fruit-profiles (generally grapefruit and/or lemon are prevalent). But this was certainly different than the everyday stuff.

The scent of petrol was obvious, with some graceful tropical fruit. A very well-balanced wine even perhaps some minerality to it on the finish. Great showing, and a bit shocking that a 2004 would steal the show. ($14-20)

Second place: Peter Franus Sauvignon Blanc, Carneros, California, 2007 - 8.5

Easily the best new typical new world we tasted. Gobs of stonefruit, pineapple, lemon peel and saltiness. And soundly elegant. ($17-23)

Third place: Spinyback Sauvignon Blanc, Nelson, New Zealand, 2006 - 8.0

2 out of 3 for the Bagginses. Although not from the famed SB region of Marlborough (but in nearby Nelson), the grapefruitey style was easy to see. Lauren said it smelled like "salty B.O and olives," but that it was also really tasty. Most people agreed. A definite crowd-pleasing middle-of-the-road style, truthfully. The nose admittedly is not for the playing-it-safe type. But seriously, salty B.O. and olives does make for an intriguing entry into a wine, especially when you find the body evolves into something with exciting and crisp fruit. ($11-16)

Fourth place: Le Celliers de la Pauline Sancerre, Eric Louis, Loire, France, 2006 - 7.8

It's certainly interesting that the best-showing Sancerre only received 4th. A lime and floral nose with a spattering of vanilla was the first impression, and green and salty in some ways (good ways). A medium-bodied, tangy entry. ($20-25)

Fifth place: Sauvignon de la Bargemone, Coteaux D'aix en Provence, France, 2005 - 7.7

A very nice surprise. A very soft style, with pleasant citrus and petrol. It certainly wasn't complex, but it was easy and fruity. There is also a bit of Grenache Blanc and Ugni Blanc thrown in for blending purposes. And it's not too often you see Sauvignon Blancs from Provence. Best buy of the night if you can find it. -- hint -- try Village Corner in Ann Arbor. ($5-9)

Sixth place: Franck Millet Sancerre, Loire, France, 2004 - 7.6

This was admittedly a disappointment. One usually expects better grace from Sancerre. There really should be no problem with a 2004 Sancerre tasting well 3 1/2 years after harvest. But the odd thing is it didn't taste old. If anything, it tasted young. The petrol/mineral was awfully fiery. There was some fruit and minerality that retained our interest, but there really was no exquisite complexities. Still good, but it may not have been opened at the right time. ($18-25)

Seventh place: Rock Rabbit Sauvignon Blanc, Central Coast, California, 2005 - 7.3

I'm kind of astonished this actually showed this well. An value-oriented '05 Sauvignon Blanc rarely stands a chance of showing some interesting fruit while still having some acidity. But this one did. Granted, I couldn't imagine this tasting good a year from now, but the point is it tasted fine a few days ago. And that's what counts. ($7-12)

Eighth place: Groth Sauvignon Blanc, Napa, California, 2007 - 7.2

What a freaking disappointment. Light fruit, light color. Short finish. I'd spend $8 on this no more. But Groth is not about to charge $8 for their Sauvignon Blanc. BOOOOOOOOOO. ($14-21)

But seriously, try to find the one from Provence. For the money, you can't really be disappointed on that. If you can't find it, keep in mind all of these were good wines. They weren't faulty and they weren't boring (well, maybe the Groth was).

The next giant tasting we'll be doing is the grandaddy of all summer wines: Rosés!

Until the next time, keep on drinkin'.

-Pitchfork Wine