Claire Patelin 'Sauvignon Blanc' (Cotes de Gascogne) 2023

 

Pale straw hue sets off a bouquet of classy "sweet" pineapple and a melange of tropical fruits

Palate-- a balanced first impression gives way to a nicely integrated quaff yielding bright, fresh flavors of a fruit salad that is NOT sweet but rather gives the impression that it is because of the potent bouquet of fruit. (The term in the wine world for this is "off-dry.") 

It will pair nicely with a big variety of lighter cheeses, white sauced pasta dishes, just about any seafood not prepared in a tomato based heavily spiced sauce.

I reviewed this wine over a year ago and noted the "grassy nose..." That is now gone.

It has been a while since I have reviewed a S. Blanc which is the name of the grape now produced world wide but the French version of this grape is distinct from the domestic S. Blancs of the U. S. which give a pronounced "grassy" bouquet and while lovely in their own right, the French version is what put S. Blanc on the map.    

This is a Trader Joe's offering and comes in at the unreal price point of around $8 I think.  Raise a glass!