RAISE A GLASS
I RAN a video tasting for a wine group the other day and relished every moment. I was talking about chardonnay and the glass of something special I chose was a smashing white from Burgundy. Chardonnay has its home in the French wine region and it seemed right that the wine I sipped and raised in “cheers” to the faces on my laptop was from there.
Louis Jadot Saint-Véran 2018 (£16, Tesco, Wholefoods) is a mouth-filling delight of peach, lemon and soft nutty notes. It is made from 100% chardonnay and probably shows itself at its proudest alongside a roast chicken and roast potatoes. The wine was my partner all evening and every sip was one to contemplate the joy of chardonnay from Burgundy.
Chardonnay growing in the cooler climate of Chablis delivers crisp green apple-edged wines. But further south the sun does its bit and chardonnay soaks in the goodness.
The wines are warmer and fruitier. Elegance, intensity and complexity are perfect words for these chardonnay wines. Saint-Veran lies between Beajolais and the Mâconnais regions of Burgundy, and it’s to the latter I’ll now turn my attention.
Within the Mâconnais, 27 villages can add their name after the word “Mâcon” on the label. These are geographical denominations in the Mâcon appellation and are perfect food pairing wines; vivacious and fresh.
This one I sipped with a mushroom risotto: Château de la Greffière La Roche Vineuse 2019 (£15.49, Laithwaites) from La Roche Vineuse is confident and sublime. The wine had lees stirring, adding a creaminess to an already delicious wine driven by mandarin and peach.
Then one Sunday afternoon a crispy-skinned pork belly came into my life alongside this wine Domaine Fichet Mâcon Igé Château London 2017 (£17.50, Drinks & Co). If heaven exists, please can it include this?
The wine is intense with lemons, apples and stone fruit which linger in the mouth, together with a balanced acidity.
Ah, I love the white wines of Burgundy, but now I’ll edge further south to Beaujolais and switch to a red wine.
The new vintage of Domaines Piron Morgon La Chanaise is due in Waitrose this month (£14.99). The key word here is “Morgon” as it is one of the 10 wineproducing areas in Beaujolais known as the “crus”.
The wines from this cru are distinctive and bold as the gamay grape grows on iron oxide and schists. I tasted this wine with a peppered steak and caramelised onions. It was a dream ticket.
Cherries, red fruits and spice combined perfectly and pranced on my palate as it met the pepper from my steak. Brilliant.
ALSO IN MY GLASS… I’m not one to opt for a glass of pinot grigio but I have exceptions to the rule. One of them is that I always enjoy wines from Villa Maria in New Zealand. And so I was happy to taste Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Grigio 2020 (£11.25, Tesco, Waitrose, Asda, nzhouseofwine. co.uk). It is made from the riper pinot gris and is lush with pears and apples. It has a soft mouthfeel with a hint of spice.
Find Jane on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes. Email jane@onefootinthegrapes.co.uk