Tasting Notes, Winter Whites; Dec. 14, 2019

Domaine Luneau-Papin ‘L d’Or’ Muscadet Sèvre & Maine, 2018

Loire Valley, FR

Regular Price $34.99

Sale price $27.99

Pierre-Marie Luneau, the 9th generation of the family making wines in the region, has further elevated the reputation of the winery by producing site specific wines (all from Melon de Bourgogne, the Muscadet appellation’s single varietal) showcasing the various soil compositions of the region. This wine, from south facing 45 + year old vines planted in granite and gneiss. Fresh and rich with floral, herbal and stone fruit aromas and flavors it finishes with crisp and unrelenting natural acidity. This wine will delight you now as well as benefit the patient.

Domaine Alary ‘La Grange Daniel’ Vin de Pays de Vaucluse, 2018

Rhone Valley, FR

Regular Price $18.99

Sale price $14.99

Made of 100% Roussanne, this wine is Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc on the cheap. Lush, full, exotic and expressive. With honeyed pear and floral notes, it will delight those that already like Rhone whites and amaze those that have less experience with them.

François Cazin Cour-Cheverny, 2018

Loire Valley FR

Regular Price $24.99 

Sale price $19.99

We’ve been going on about the rare and ancient grape Romorantin for some time now, and are even more excited about getting some of the hard-to-find examples from Francois Cazin. Cazin farms at incredibly low yields, producing wines of deep concentration and amazing texture. Like this wine. Crisp with tart apple flavors, its weight is far more reminiscent of a red wine than a white.

Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Annaberg Chardonnay Spätlese Trocken, 2017

Pfalz, DE

Regular Price $39.99

Sale price $31.99

This is a Chardonnay like no others. Ripe and rich, picked late yet with only a touch of RS (less than the typical Cali Chard), aged in old oak, vibrant with nervy acidity, it will astound and delight. And perhaps change your outlook of German wines. There are exciting things going on in the old vineyards of Germany; it’s a shame that the wine press isn’t paying attention.

Jacob Schneider Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese, 2017

Nahe, DE

Regular Price $44.99 

Sale price $35.99

For over 100 years, the Hermannshöhle has been rated the best site in the Nahe and is the benchmark by which all other vineyards in the region are judged. This site takes its name from a small mine (Höhle which actually means “cave”) in the middle of the hillside. ‘Hermann’ comes from Hermes, the Greek guardian of messengers and travelers, which might indicate that at one point this was an area of ancient worship. Or not. Anyway, this is a classic German Riesling, which means that, yes, it has some RS, but also has balancing acidity, so it’s perfect. Full, rich, fruity, weighty, food friendly, and cleanly crisp.  Yeah, don’t you wish all wines were this good?

François et Julien Pinon ‘Les Deronnieres’ Vouvray, 2018

Loire Valley, FR

Regular Price $39.99 

Sale price $31.99

Yeah, we’re pretty excited by Chenin Blanc these days and especially those from the Pinon clan of Vouvray. This is a demi-sec (half dry), with notable RS and equally notable acidity making it another of those wines that are crazy delicious, with rich, sweet fruit flavors and density and length and aging potential…you know, like the sweet reds that wine critics give a zillion points to. Only this wine really will age (because of the high acidity) and is a third of the price of those sweet red monsters.