2021 Vincent Carême Vouvray Plaisir Ancestral Brut Nature, France, Loire, Wine Review

This is a sparkling wine from the Loire Valley made from Chenin Blanc grapes. The wine receives zero dosage. It is made in the pétillant style using "natural" winemaking techniques (no added sulfites). Pale gold in color, clear and bright. Lots of quickly disappearing, medium sized bubbles. The nose is lovely with green apples, with a slight smoky note and some minerality. Medium bodied. Good acidity. On the palate, sour apples, some green apples and minerality. This is mostly dry. Nice on its own, but better with food. This is versatile and will work with a wide variety of foods. It would be nice with Tuna Steaks. Drink over the next five to ten years. Insist on well stored bottles.

Grade:

B+

Score:

Vintage:

2021

Vouvray: A Chenin Blanc for the Ages

Among Americans, the Loire Valley is most often associated with gardens and castles and not much else. We journey the 150 kilometers southwest from Paris and take a day or two visiting Chateau de Chambord and Chenonceau, all the while enjoying the delightful flora and thinking of bygone days when princes and noblemen still roamed the cavernous halls in this ancient land. But the French know better. They know what we foreigners are just beginning to discover—that some of the most interesting, delicious, and affordable wines in the world hail from the chalky soil on which those famous castles stand.

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2020 Domaine Nicolas Brunet Vouvray Brut, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage:

2020

Score:

Grade:

B+

Current Price:

$29.00USD

This is a sparkling wine (Methode Traditionelle) made from Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley of France. Yellow/gold in color with slight green hues, mostly clear and bright. The mouse shows a fair amount of medium sized bubbles. The nose has a nice minerality to it with crushed rocks and a slight seltzer quality. Nice mouthfeel. Medium bodied. Good acidity. On the palate, there is a nice seltzer note with slight ginger and a hint of char. A bit of an herbal note (almost scallion like) on the finish. This drinks well on its own and is very food friendly. It would be excellent with l

2017 Domaine Huet Vouvray Pétillant Brut, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage:

2017

Score:

Grade:

B+

Current Price:

$26.00USD

This is a lightly sparkling wine made from Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley in France. Golden in color, the mousse quickly fades in the glass. Medium sized bubbles. The nose is different with yeast, slight doughy notes along with a bit of salinity. Medium to full bodied. On the palate, this is refreshing. Dry. Notes of honey (not sweet) and crushed shells. Good acidity. Long finish. This drinks well on its own but really needs some food. It would be very nice with a wide range of foods from a Beet Salad to a Quiche. Unique and not a substitute for a Champagne styled wine. Drink

2003 Domaine de la Fontainerie Vouvray Coteau Les Brules Moelleux, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage:

2003

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$54.00USD

This is a late harvest wines made from Chenin Blanc grapes in the Loire Valley, France. 12% abv. Very pretty in the glass with a deep golden color, clear and bright. The nose has orange zest, honey apricots and sea air. Full bodied. Good acidity. On the palate, this is sweet and is probably best served as a dessert wine. Not cloying. Notes of apricots and slight honey. Long finish. Deep and complex. This will drink well on its own, but would work great with less sweet dessert such as a simple cookie or a Polenta Cake. Sweet Chenin Blanc wines can last a long time. This is alrea

2021 Domaine Perrault-Jadaud Vouvray Sec "Les Grives Soules", France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage:

2021

Score:

Grade:

A-

This is a dry (Sec) Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley in France. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is great with tangerines, sea air, baked apples and char. Full bodied. Good acidity. Very nice slightly oily texture. On the palate, green apples with an interesting chervil note. Long finish. This is still young but drinking well. Nice on its own, this is also very food friendly. It would pair nicely with pork chops. Drink over the next ten years.

2021 Vincent Carême Vouvray Plaisir Ancestral Brut Nature, France, Loire, Wine Review

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Vouvray: A Chenin Blanc for the Ages

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