I had a glass of this with a friend and some friendly pork rillettes. Not sure of the match, but the wine was very enjoyable, if initially served way too cold.

The nose is quiet at first, evolving to show ripe apple flesh and a sharp, detailed minerality that elevates and organises the whole aroma profile. There’s also a sense of sea breezes here, a light brine influence that I find tantalising and quite visual.

Nothing on the subtle nose flags the dramatic intensity of the palate, though. Instant impact on entry, this wine doesn’t hold its apple and lemon fruit flavours back at all. There is plenty going on if you value complexity; for such a young and relatively affordable wine, I’m impressed by the array of citrus rind flavours, moving between floral and fleshy then back again. There’s also an architecture of minerals here, contesting and ultimately overpowering the fruit, though the effect isn’t nearly as brutal as my words might suggest. Acidity is quite sensational, zipping things along and remaining a firm influence right along the line. The impression is crystalline, precise and driven; flavour, sure, but this wine’s strength is more figurative. Loved it.

Champalou
Price: $A40
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Retail

I spied this while at lunch today and couldn’t resist buying a bottle.

On the nose, apple and pear plus a collection of somewhat prickly notes that remind me a little of pies baking in a slightly-too-hot oven. It’s very distinctive and quite forward, expressiveness growing as I sit with it through the evening. On entry, the most notable element is a thick, round mouthfeel that is quite unexpected after a relatively tight nose. Hence, the wine has good impact and presence. Labelled “sec,” there’s no overt sweetness, although fruit flavours are quite forward and soft in the context of the style. Apples and pears and, dare I suggest, grapes are the primarily flavours, overlaid with that distinctive marshmallow and toffee halo that one sees in some Loire Chenins. I wish it had a bit more incisiveness and bite, as well as a notch more intensity. A little tame through the after palate, the wine is of average length, seeming to taper off too quickly relative to its punch on the middle palate.

An easygoing Vouvray that provides a good hit of Loire goodness for not too much money. For my dollars, though, there are probably others that represent better value.

Domaine Côteau de la Biche
Price: $A31
Closure: Cork

In an effort to distract myself from market woes, corporate reorganisations and general predictions of gloom and doom, I have this evening turned to my most reliable companions, cheese and wine. To be specific, a goat’s cheese omelet and Loire Chenin Blanc. I’ve been drinking older Chenins lately so it’s nice to consume a fresher example.

Pale hue, watery almost, excellent clarity. The nose is pungently fruity, showing a combination of pineapple and fig-like fruit, along with a good streak of savoury minerality. The latter, savoury aspect shows a hint of sulfur, ending up smelling as much of gunpowder as anything else. Enough with the obscure descriptors, though; there’s balance, richness, some complexity. I’ve been smelling this wine for a good two hours and am still enjoying each sniff. It’s a lot more forward than the 2005 version and, in a perverse way, I miss the evasiveness of the earlier vintage.

In the mouth, the richness of the aroma translates to some residual sweetness and relatively straightforward fruit character. Fine acidity and a certain fullness of body are most striking on entry. Minerality soon emerges along with rich fig/pear fruit. Good balance between sweetness, savoury notes and acidity. The wine comes alive from the mid palate onwards, with a characteristic Loire-like mix of floral delicacy and richer, baked pie flavours. Very long finish.

Overall, this wine seems less structured and textural than the 2005, and hence more approachable and generous in its youth. I don’t have enough experience to know how this particular vintage will age, but suggest its softer acidity encourages immediate consumption. Excellent value.

Marc Brédif
Price: $A25.65
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: October 2008

The nose is best described as elusive, but tantalisingly so. Flavours of powder, flint, light tropical fruit, herbs and musk seem to emerge from the glass with unexpected intensity and then disappear again just as suddenly; the overall effect is quite beguiling.

The entry is not flavourful so much as textural. It’s slippery and surprisingly viscous and leads to a medium bodied palate that is again surprisingly intense. There are herbal edges to the same light tropical fruits that showed on the nose, plus a whack of acidity that introduces a mineral aspect to the flavour profile. It also counterbalances the residual sugar that emerges on the middle palate. Really nicely judged in this respect. Flavour density builds towards the after palate, and the wine’s finish shows very clean, lingeringly sweet fruit and minerality in equal measure.

I’m actually having this wine as an aperitif, and regret that I don’t have something like a nice liver pate to go with it. This is a lovely wine for those who enjoy a more subtle white wine experience – perhaps those who can appreciate a younger Hunter Semillon might enjoy this wine. To me, there’s a sophistication in this wine’s reticence and elusiveness. Balance and complexity in spades. Very nice indeed.

Marc Brédif
Price: $A30
Closure: Cork
Date tasted: November 2007