Many years ago in the mid 70's I was just starting my hobby of becoming a wine know-it-all--okay, at least a wanna be wine know it all. I joined a wine club in Atlanta called Les Amis Du Vin--Friend of the vine. This wine (different vintage of course) was one of the selection of the month wines. I remember I wasn't wild about it.
Now about 30 years and who knows how many wine experiences later, I am walking around in Sam's Club and I spy this wine with a price of under $13. For a "Grand Vin De Graves" I had to have it for that price. When I got home I noticed I actually paid $30 for it thanks to Sam's awkward placement of the $13 price placard which was for a different wine. Oh well...The wine is from the Pessac-Leognan produced by the great Andre Lurton. It is a blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillion.It is a light golden to straw color with a nice citrus cream bouquet with nice interesting spice notes and vanilla. In the mouth is acidic and tightly wound with notes of citrus, wood and a nice texture with lingering--I mean really lingering--finish of fruit. This is NOT your new world Sauvignon Blanc!
I noted that this should be a nice food wine and then went to making dinner. I poured my next glass some 20 minutes later and I wrote "WOW! What a different wine: It is open and full of mouth watering flavors."
It was a good food wine and this was one of the few white wines I have had that I could say "opened" with some air. $30 is steep for a bottle of white wine in my book but this one was worth the price! Raise a glass.
Reading your blog entry takes me back a few years. In college our wine of choice was "Matteus". I tried it a short while back and cannot believe that we actually thought it was good.In my earlier days of getting involved with real wine I too belonged to a wine organization with a slightly different nomenclature called Les Amis Du Vin de France. I can remember sitting across from a couple of real wine drinkers ( read snobs) who spent considerable time bouncing bouquets of one another before they even considered to take their first mouthful. I moved on from there. Matteus ..No. Snobs ...No! But even though you missed the bargain you thought you had perhaps I can offer you a suggestion of a wine that if available in your area, you should try. Its a bargain. Only $10 around here.I wrote it up in a column I write and it was flying of the shelves once people read about it and tried it. It is the Chateau De Courteillac 2005 Bordeaux ( not to be confused with Domaine de Courteillac), a blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. If you can get it, get a case. Great to impress your friends with when you tell them its only ten bucks.Enjoy reading your blog, even though you did get tricked into spending $30 on your wine. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteWilf, We always enjoy receiving tips on great wine values. I haven't seen that wine here or in Boston for that matter but will certainly be on the hunt. Thanks and "Raise a glass!"
ReplyDeletePB
I have not tried the 2003 vintage
ReplyDeleteof Chateau La Louviere however did try the 2002. Excellent wine with fruit flavors, well balanced, dry and crisp. I paid $36.99 well worth the money other White Bordeaux were insipid in comparison. If you want a
white try Seigneurs de Bergerac any vintage. The last I tried was 2006.
Selling for $8.99. The wine has citrus, pear and spice overtones. For the money this wine rocks.