White Wines BTG Flashcards
Alain Chavy, Chardonnay, Bourgogne Blanc, Burgundy (2022)
Burgundy Chardonnay!
From Domain Alain Chavy
Minimal chemical use in vineyards
“while light in body, is taut and fresh in character”
Alain Chavy produces restrained, structured, and long-lived white Burgundies from 17 acres of vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet. Alain and his brother Jean-Louis worked with their father from 1986 until his retirement in 1997. The brothers continued to work together until 2003 when they decided to equally divide the 32 acres belonging to Domaine Gérard Chavy. Alain established Domaine Alain Chavy in 2003 and moved to a grand, old house in the village of Puligny-Montrachet, where he lives with his family. Here, Alain constructed a new underground cellar—one of the few in Puligny—where he continues to refine his work in the vineyard and cellar.
Alain owns 17 acres of splendid vineyards. Alain makes restrained style of Puligny with ripe fruit balanced by crisp acidity, which are designed to long aging. Almost no chemicals are used in the vineyards apart for protection against mildew. All grapes are hand harvested, pressed and fermented in barrel at not more than 25 degrees.
Alain inoculates for fermentation and believes in keeping bâtonnage to a minimum. He uses a combination of 400-liter oak puncheons and up to 10% new Burgundian pièce for the Bourgogne Blanc. “We’re looking for a balance between the fruit and oak character,” explains Alain. “We want the wines’ minerality to show through.”
Alain Chavy’s Bourgogne Blanc comes from young vines grown in Puligny where the wines typically show green and yellow fruit, firm acidity and distinctive minerality. This Bourgogne Blanc, while light in body, is taut and fresh in character.
WINE DETAILS
More Information
Alcohol % 12.0%
Vintage 2022
Varietal Chardonnay
Region Burgundy
Country France
Bottle Size 750 ml
Type White
Château Graville-Lacoste, Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc, Bordeaux
2023
Wine Type: White
Vintage: 2023
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: 60% Sémillon, 35% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Muscadelle
Appellation: Graves
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Producer: Château Graville-Lacoste
Winemaker: Hervé Dubourdieu
Vineyard: 45-48 years, 13 ha
Soil: Clay & Limestone on fissured rock
Aging: Vinification and aging in stainless steel
Farming: Lutte Raisonnée
Alcohol: 12%
Bordeaux may be best known for its grand red wines, but this region along France’s Atlantic coast also produces blancs that sing as apéritifs or alongside the daily catch. Situated southeast of the left bank’s prestigious châteaux, the appellation Graves is among the best sources for delicious and versatile white wines. Its clay-and-limestone soils are ideal for growing Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle—grapes that are used for both sweet Sauternes and dry Graves. All three varieties feature in this white from Hervé Dubourdieu’s Château Graville-Lacoste. Because Hervé’s vines are five decades old and therefore have access to deep water reserves, and because their location is in one of Graves’s cooler microclimates, this blanc is incredibly consistent, year in and year out. Crisp and refreshing, with notes of citrus, cut grass, and subtle tropical fruits, it pairs as well with oysters as it does with roasted beets and goat cheese or buttery-garlic crab legs, along with many more autumnal culinary possibilities right around the corner.
—Tom Wolf
Pierre Sparr, Riesling, Alsace
2022
In bright yellow with green glints, this 2022 dry Riesling sparkles in the glass. The aromas remind us of the end of spring, with a predominant scent of white flowers, especially elderflower, accompanied by lime notes. In the background, we can detect some mineral notes reminiscent of flint, which are expected to develop into petrol aromas. The taste is crisp, thanks to the beautiful freshness that brings an elegant and typical mouthfeel. This wine is full-bodied and displays a lot of character.
Details
Location France > Alsace
Grapes Riesling
Category Wine > White
Alcohol 13.00
Enclosure Screwcap
Colleleva, Verdicchio, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Marche, Italy
2022
A delicious white wine from the Marche region (Central East Coast) across from Rome. Verdicchio means “little green one”, a name which holds true for the wines it makes in central Marche. These are typically straw colored with pronounced green tinges and have a correspondingly “green” aroma profile, leaning towards herbaceous notes and fresh apples. This is complemented by crisp acidity and a pleasant, slightly bitter aftertaste redolent of toasted almonds.
Patz & Hall, Chardonnay, ‘Dutton Ranch’, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast
2020
A youthful medium golden yellow, the 2020 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast is fresh and ripe with aromas of pineapple, almond, and preserved citrus. Medium to full-bodied, with good lift to its notes of crunchy saline earth, yellow flowers, pithy Meyer lemon, and ripe golden apple, it strikes a nice balance between its fruit and savory minerality
