Pouilly-Vinzelles
Pictured above is a white from the Maconnais. This middle of the road chardonnay drinks like its more famous neighbor, Pouilly-Fuisse, at a reasonable price. I picked up a case of this 2005 Pouilly-Vinzelles for 12.99 a bottle (before case discount). This wine normally retails in the sixteen to twenty-two dollar range, usually right around eighteen. I recommend locals hit the store before it’s all gone. I think there may only be a few bottles left. If you want to give it a shot, I picked this up at the Whole Foods on Cedar Rd in Cleveland Heights.
It’s ready to drink now and won’t really benefit from cellaring. As you can read on the lable, Louis Latour is the Negocient-Eleveur. This designation means either that Latour has contracts with specific growers or buys wine that has only begun to ferment, and refines/elevates it. This Pouilly-Vinzelles was bottled at the other end of the Burgundy region in Beaune.
Remember why I liked that Chilean sauv blanc so much (a few posts ago)? The lack of aging in oak allowed the terroir to shine through. With this wine one can expect much the same. While unoaked chardonnays are not always put through malolactic fermentation, Latour has for this wine. The result is a rather soft, medium bodied wine, easily accessible. It’s got nuttiness and a bit of honey with, as one might expect, enough acidity to make a great food wine.
a votre sante
