Wine of the week: Les Deux Moulins 2020

Yes, sauvignon blanc from France’s Loire can cost less than $15

One of the great joys  of wine is tasting sauvignon blanc from the Loire in France for the first time. Even these days, when most sauvignon blanc takes after New Zealand, there’s still something deliciously different in a Loire wine.

The catch, of course, is price (and yes, I’m as tired of writing that as you are of reading it). These are everyday wines in France, where paying less than $7 a bottle is common. But the same wines can cost $15 or more in the states.

Which brings us to the Les Deux Moulins 2020 ($17, purchased, 12%). Why is a $17 wine the wine of the week? Because it costs as little as $10 in some parts of the country, and I’m not going to pass up the chance to review a top-notch Loire because a Dallas retailer wanted extra margin.

The Les Deux Moulins is a well-made Loire sauvignon blanc with a little more citrus fruit and a little less flintiness than I expected. Having said that, it’s professional and quite drinkable, and doesn’t taste of grapefruit. There is some lemon zest and an enjoyable, almost pithy quality, on the end. It’s not big and powerful, but it’s not supposed to be.

This is seafood wine – simple grilled fish (even fried catfish) as well as chicken breasts marinated with lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, and garlic.

Imported by Paris Wine Company