For some reason I've gotten myself on a white Bordeaux kick. Generally I've been a red wine kinda guy, and some of my friends either really prefer whites or simply don't drink red wines. Usually we drink Pinot Grigio or sometimes something more obscure like a Gavi. Chardonnay can be great but often is not, and Chablis, well, we haven't found good Chablis on a regular basis.
Which leaves us with drinking or wishing we were drinking red wine. Of course, there are lots and lots of varieties of excellent wine, and it is just silly to think that we can't find them. On a whim recently I picked up a bottle of Cuvee Occitane by L'Archet (2006, 14%, $18-$20, imported by Indigo Wine Group) It was a great accompaniment to our fish dinner, rich, complex, not too 'summery', simply delightful. It is made from a blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc. In addition to those, typical grapes for this region include Semillon, Savignon Blanc, and Muscadelle.
Tonight we had haddock, roasted Butternut Squash, and a wonderful winter salad with fresh spinach, pear, goat cheese, and toasted pecans in a raspberry vinaigrette. The wine was the remains (leftover, opened last night) of a bottle of Chartron La Fleur Bordeaux (2008, 12%, $9, imported by MS Walker). Excellent, particularly under circumstances that are arguably "not the most optimum".
So, I'm all excited by this discovery of a nice white wine, at all price points, that I can enjoy and be happy to drink with my non-red-drinking friends. Give it a try, let me know what you think.
Cheers!
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