An altogether excellent friend recently sent me a few wines to try, in the spirit of education and vinous exploration. I hadn’t intended to write any of them up, but this one surprised me and suggested a few notes were in order.

Quite a luscious nose showing tropical fruit and some honeyed apricot, offset by a solid streak of high toned flint. An interesting balance between overripe fruit notes and the sort of minerality one usually associates with ultra-dry wines in the Australian context.

This theme continues through the palate. On entry, lots of ripe flavour and a slippery mouthfeel, though with enough acid to ensure a sufficiently fresh impression. Though certainly influenced by some residual sugar, the fruit character reminds me of preserved lemon: sharp citrus character by way of pungently savoury syrup. This sits on top of a shard of flint that adds detail and shape to the wine’s line. Good density through the after palate, and a good lingering finish.

Interesting style that worked well for us as an aperitif. It would also suit canapes well, and I imagine would cut through a degree of oiliness thanks to the minerality. Wines like this help to remind me that, although it’s great to revisit favourite styles, there’s a tremendous diversity of wine just waiting to be tasted.

Bouchié-Chatellier
Price: $NA
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: September 2008

Even though I didn’t drink much of it while in New Zealand recently, Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, specifically that from the Marlborough, is surely prominent in the consciousness of wine drinkers in this country. As singular as it is, there are other equally interesting expressions of this variety, one of which is, of course, Pouilly-Fumé from the Loire Valley. Here’s a reasonably priced example from the notable 2005 vintage.

Synthetic cork provides an inauspicious start to the overall experience of this wine. At least there’s no chance of TCA. A green-gold colour, light, clear. The nose is moderately intense, showing rich tropical fruits and a hint of honey. There’s a soft delicacy to this wine’s aromas, despite its rich flavour profile, that I find attractive. No great complexity to speak of. The entry is firm with acid, though not unbalanced or harsh. In fact, the acidity of this wine is worth noting, as it’s steely and linear, yet subtle too, never creating more than a lively structure to carry fruit flavour. The middle palate is rounded and generous, with more tropical fruit, citrus and honeyed edges, a hint of fresh herbs, perhaps a bit of smoke. Again, no overwhelming complexity, but it’s tasty for sure. The after palate drops off pretty quickly, and the wine’s finish is more of an echo rather than a continuation of substantial flavour.

In pure QPR terms, this wine is probably slightly overpriced compared to Australasian examples, but the fact remains that our local styles are quite different in character. So, given we’re not talking huge bucks here, I’d suggest this wine as a good option if you’re after a generous, refreshing white wine and want something less aggressive than Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Serve well chilled. We had this wine with old fashioned Pommy fish cakes and it was extremely food friendly. I reckon it would also be killer with a fish pie.

Pierre Brévin
Price: $A20
Closure: Synthetic cork
Date tasted: January 2008