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by Manos Angelakis
Sauvignon Blanc by André Lurton
I used to drink little white wine; Riesling, and Prosecco, to name two of the varietals I like most. However, lately, I find myself asking for Sauvignon Blanc and I decided that I do like a dry, light, aromatic wine, which is the typical Sauvignon Blanc.
So when I was invited to an André Lurton wine tasting, I could not resist. I know that this French producer creates some exceptional Sauvignon-Blanc-based wines; and I was not disappointed. Additionally, his sons that have vineyards in Chile and Argentina make some very aromatic and fresh Sauvignon Blanc wines that frequently find their way to my table. Through the tasting, I was able to sample not only a number of exceptional 2007, young wines, but also some more aged examples with lunch. Additionally, we tasted two bottles from the same Château, same 2006 vintage, that differed only in the fact that one was using a screwtop closure and the other a regular cork (see The Oeno File on LuxuryWeb). But… I’m getting ahead of myself.
The wines we had at the initial tasting were:
From Entre-Deux-Mers.
2007 Château Bonnet Blanc; a blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Sémillon, and 10% Muscadelle. Fermented and aged in stainless steel. The combination of Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle gave a boost to the aromatic of this wine. Otherwise, it was fresh and crisp. Should be drunk very young, at most 2 to 3 years from bottling
2007 Divinus de Château Bonnet Blanc; 100% Sauvignon Blanc. From 18-year old vines. Medium body, similar aromatics to the blend above, though citrus was much more evident on the nose. This wine is stainless fermented and doesn’t go to oak for aging. Should also be drunk very young, at most 2 to 4 years from bottling.
From Pessac-Léognan, Graves.
2006 Château de Rochemorin Blanc; also 100% Sauvignon Blanc. A little shy on the nose. This wine was aged in oak barriques (35% new), sur lies, for 10 months. Oak and citrus predominate, with hazelnut in the long finish. Young but with good acidity.
2006 Château Couhins-Lurton Blanc; 100% Sauvignon Blanc from a small property. This is an ageworthy wine. Manually harvested in successive passes. Aged for 12 months in oak barriques (50% new), sur lies. Aromatic and fresh, with vanilla and grapefruit on the nose, and a hint of apricot. Best if cellared for a number of years, perhaps between 6 and 8. Would still maintain its quality even after 15 years.
2006 Château La Louvière Blanc; a blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Sémillon. Aromatic; toasty oak with lightly citrussy, slightly mineral nose. Full palate, rounded with very dry honey and ripe apple notes. Nice but still in diapers, I would wait 2 or 3 years before opening. Will maintain quality for 10 to 15 years.
There were a number of red wines as well in this tasting, but I thought the Sauvignon-Blanc-based were really outstanding, and as I said at the beginning of the story, I’m drinking more and more now of these wines.
To your health!
© July 2008 The Oenophile Blog. All rights reserved.
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