Tag Archives: white wine

Expensive wine 171: William Fevre Champs Royaux Chablis 2020

William Fevre Champs Royaux Chablis bottle
William Fevre Champs Royaux Chablis 2020/$25-$40

Another fine vintage of this Chablis from a top-notch producer

Chablis is one of the few places left to find value in white Burgundy, France’s high-end version of chardonnay. Value, of course, is relative in this case, since very ordinary white Burgundy that’s not especially high-end can cost $40.

Which is where the William Fevre Champs Royaux Chablis 2020 ($28, purchased, 12.5%) comes in. William Fevre is a top producer, and its wines have appeared on the blog a couple of times. They were also among the Big Guy’s favorites; several of us drank this in his honor a couple of weeks ago.

The Champs Royaux is richer than many Chablis, which is most often a lean, more crisp approach to chardonnay. That’s because the Royaux gets a tiny hint of oak – not enough so the wine is oaky, but enough to notice that it’s a bit different. But the lemon and apple fruit is subdued, and it’s still a mineral driven wine, as Chablis should be (what the wine geeks call wet stone). Let this age a bit, and it should get a little leaner.

Highly recommended, and something to think about when it’s time for late summer entertaining. The Big Guy would have asked me to roast a chicken to pair with it, and that’s always a fine idea with this wine.

Imported by Maison & Domaines Henriot America

Wine of the week: Goats do Roam White 2022

Goats do Roam White bottle
Wine of the week: Goats do Roam White 2022/$8-$16

South African quality shows again – and no, that’s not a typo

A friend was reminiscing the other day about “critter wines” – the glut of simple, cheap (and some not so cheap) wines with cutesy animals on the label that were inspired by Yellow Tail and that dominated store shelves in the early 2000s. “I hope,” he said, “that they never come back.”

Which is understandable, given the poor quality of many. But some critter wines never went away — and, in fact, really weren’t critter wines at all.

Instead, they used that kind of label to market quality cheap wine, of which the South African Goats do Roam 2022 ($12, purchased, 13.5%) is a terrific example.

The wine is a white blend, using grapes from France’s Rhone. Hence, Goats do Roam is a play on Rhone. Regardless, it’s a spot on example of the style. It’s made with viognier, grenache blanc, marsanne, and roussanne, so expect some oiliness, stone fruit, a little lime in the back, and even – hard to believe, I know– hints of minerality.

Highly recommended, and a candidate for the 2024 Hall of Fame. Chill this and drink it as summer ends; it’s just the kind of thing for 105 degree days we’ve had in Dallas. Pan bagna, anyone?

Imported by Indigo Wine Group

Wine of the week: MAN Sauvignon Blanc 2022

MAN Sauvignon Blanc bottle
MAN Sauvignon Blanc 2022/$7-$15

Once again, South Africa’s MAN delivers quality and value

During last week’s podcast with Greg Doody of Vineyard Brands, he spoke glowingly of South Africa’s MAN wines. And why not, given the quality of this white? (Or most of the other MANs, for that matter.)

The MAN Sauvignon Blanc 2022 ($10, purchased, 13%) is neither New Zealand, French, or California in style. So no head-smacking grapefruit, no long stony finish, no aromas of freshly cut grass. Rather, it’s terroir driven — a little softer and more tropical than French or California. That means a not quite pineapple fruitiness but enough lime for balance. And, of course, crisp enough to be sauvignon blanc.

The 11 percent semillion in the blend makes it richer than I expected – who expects a $10 sauvignon blanc to offer more than one note? Plus, there’s a bit of a complex mouth feel, which is also not common in a wine at this price.

Highly recommended, and certain to return to the Hall of Fame next year. Pair this with any summer salad or grilled fish. And, frankly, it’s just the thing to keep chilled and drink when you’re ready for a glass of white wine.

Imported by Vineyard Brands

Expensive wine 107: L’Enclos de Carbonnieux Blanc 2020

L'Enclos de Carbonnieux Blanc label
L’Enclos de Carbonnieux Blanc 2020/$23-$30

When it’s worth paying more than $10 for white Bordeaux

One of the most difficult parts of this job is not letting my prejudices and preconceptions about wines and wine styles that I don’t like get in the way of an honest assessment of what I taste. I do a decent job of that for merlot, but not as good for rose (or, as one tasting note for a $30 French pink said, “No, this isn’t three times better than the Bieler.”)

Hence, my biggest problem with this wine is that I was hamstrung by the idea that white Bordeaux doesn’t need to cost more than $10 (save for Chateau d’Yquem, of course). Which, if I had allowed that attitude to get in the way, would have meant I missed a fine wine.

Because the L’Enclos de Carbonnieux Blanc 2020 ($26, purchased, 13%) is a fine wine and well worth drinking: “Classic white Bordeaux — green, flinty, a bit of richness from the semillon,” said my tasting notes.

So, yes, it’s probably twice as good as the $10 or $12 white blends from that region in France that I drink all the time. It’s certainly more complex; there’s a lot more going on than the one-note citrus that so many $10 and $12 and even $15 white Bordeaux opt for these days. That means some herbal notes, as well as an almost chalky minerality.

It’s also worth noting that this is the second label from a top white Bordeaux producer, Chateau Carbonnieux, whose wines run around $50. Which, in the way wine works today, makes the L’Enclos a value.

Highly recommended; break out the poulet roti, or, if you’re feeling Hemingway-esque, chilled oysters.

Imported by Misa Imports

Wine of the week: Chateau Fage Blanc 2021

Chateau Fage Blanc bottle
Chateau Fage Blanc 2021/$9-$13

This French white Bordeaux is cheap wine of the finest caliber

The best thing to know about this white Bordeaux blend, which is as well-made a cheap wine of this style that I’ve tasted in years? It’s widely available.

Yep – 25 retailers listed in the free version of Wine-Searcher (and 150 listed in the paid). In other words, it’s buy a case time.

So how about the rest of the good stuff for the Château Fage Blanc 2021 ($12, purchased, 12.5%)? Because it does things at this price that don’t happen much any more.

• It’s a blend of 40 percent sauvignon blanc and 60 percent semillon; typically, these wines have mostly sauvignon blanc with a bit of semillon.

• Even so, it’s fresh and crisp, But it’s not a one-note, New Zealand style sauvignon blanc, which is – again – typical of these wines at this price.

• The semillion adds body and lift, balancing the crispness of the sauvignon blanc. That means some citrus, but also an almost floral, tropical middle from the semillion.

Highly recommended, and a candidate for Hall of Fame and the 2024 Turner award as cheap wine of the year.

Imported by Monsieur Touton Selection

Fourth of July wine 2023

super hero miniatures
Yes, using this picture again — how could I not, what with superheroes battling premiumization?

Fourth of July wine 2023: Four bottles offering value and quality for Independence Day

It will be a hot Fourth o July in Dallas this year, and not just because of the holiday. We’re in one of our 100 degree stretches as I write this. So enjoy these selections, as well as the blog’s summer and porch wine guidelines in mind since it’s so hot.

These four wines will get you started:

• Castello di Gabbiano Chianti 2020 ($8, purchased, 13%): Old-fashioned Italian red —  both in style and price — that is heavy in the mouth with sour cherry fruit and dry tannins? What more does one need for smoking pork? (And a tip o’ the WC’s fedora to Frankie Celenza, who reminded me about this wine. Imported by TWE Imports

• Henri Bourgeois Petit Bourgeois Sauvignon Blanc 2021 ($13, purchased, 13%): if you can find this French sauvignon blanc for $10 or $12, buy a case. It’s a classic everyday wine — crisp, fresh, and stony. Highly recommended. Imported by Virtuoso Selections

• Cote Mas Aurore Rose 2021 ($9/1-liter, purchased, 12.5%): This French pink is past inconsistent; some vintages taste like bad red wine, and some are as terrific as this one. Provencal in style, so barely ripe berries, stony, and crisp. Highly recommended. Imported by Taub Family Selections

• Charles de Fère Cuvée Jean Louise NV ($9, purchased, 11%): Simple, enjoyable French charmat bubbly that offers tremendous value. Given the silly prices for even the most ordinary sparkling wine, this is a tremendous value. Decent bubbles, some stone fruit and lemon. Imported by Boisset America

Photo: TFNY18_074c” by BAS Photog is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.

More Fourth of July wine:
• Fourth of July wine 2022
• Fourth of July wine 2021
• Fourth of July wine 2020
• Wine of the week: Bieler Père et Fils Rose 2022

Wine of the week: Zestos Blanco 2021

Zestos Blanco bottle
Zestos Blanco 2021/$11-$14

This Spanish white is one of the world’s great cheap wines

The pandemic was not kind to Spanish wine, which especially suffered from shortages and supply chain disruptions. That followed the Trump wine tariff, which had previously clobbered the country’s wine business.

So it has been four years since I have been able to taste a new vintage of the Zestos Blanco, which is usually one of the best cheap white wines in the world. I am happy to report that the 2021 vintage ($12, purchased, 12.5%) continues this trend. Call it the return of an old friend I haven’t talked to in entirely too long.

All of the Zestos wines are worth drinking, and each offers something unique. The Blanco is made with malvar, a white grape little known outside of Spain. It’s not like chardonnay or sauvignon blanc, or even the lesser known French white grapes that I like. Rather, it’s less tart and more tropical than these grapes, with a sort of lime and stone fruit flavor combination, yet dry and clean and fresh on the finish.

And, for the wine geeks out there, the vines are some 70 years old and grow at 2,100 feet – attributes usually reserved for all those $125, 94-point red wines.

Highly recommended, and certain to make the short list for the 2024 Turner award for cheap wine of the year.

Imported by Ole & Obrigado