SIX WHITE WINES TO END SUMMER ON A RICH NOTE
Before heading back to familiar reds, sample these interesting selections
I know that many of you drink white wine during summer. As autumn is around the corner, you might be heading back to familiar territory and your beloved red wines.
I have received a number of emails from readers saying they have learned a lot from my “year of white wine,” and have discovered they like drinking it more than they thought they would.
So while the weather is still warm, here are some interesting whites you should definitely try, with extended tasting notes. They are more expensive, but my rule has always been that to find a similar quality in white wine, you will need to spend $5 to $10 more than you normally do on a red.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT AUSTRIAN RIESLING
There is great riesling the world over, but the “big three” producing regions are Alsace, Germany and Austria. Because Austrian wines have been hard to come by in Quebec, and what was available was mostly Austria’s other grape, grüner veltliner, their riesling is not on most people’s radar. They are worthy of the prestige. I find that they cover that middle ground between Germany and Alsace. So while they tend to be dry, as is much of Alsatian riesling, they are more aromatically expressive than many Alsatian rieslings and with a touch richer texture. Riesling 2014, Sprinzenberg, Kremstall, Weingut Geyerhof, Austria white, $29.50, SAQ # 12131551: Organic. So good. Perfect balance for a dry riesling. Melon, candied lemon rind, apples. So refreshing. Subtle mineral note. Like many Austrian rieslings, it shows a beautiful three-way balance among fruit, acid and mineral. Drinks exceptionally well now, and I have stocked a few bottles away for the future. Residual sugar: 5.3 g/L. Serve at: 8-12 C. Drink now-2020. Food pairing idea: apéritif, raw oysters.
ENCRUZADO? WHAT’S THAT?
Portugal is not known as a whitewine-producing country aside from the Vinho Verde region. There are many excellent whites, however, and one of the best I have tasted recently is made with encruzado, which is indigenous to my favourite Portuguese region, Dão.
It’s hard to find something comparable, as it walks a line between the richness of chardonnay and the nuance of vermentino, but with a solid mineral and citrus finish.
So while the Dão, like the rest of Portugal, may be best known for red wines, encruzado should put it on the map for white wines as well. Dao 2015, $22.50, Reserva, Encruzado, Quinta da Falorca, $22.50, SAQ # 12537673: Refreshing, yet with a sneaky richness. Very subtle fruit, perhaps papaya and guava on the nose. Hits you on the finish with a mineral bitterness and lime rind. Almost salty. Very cool wine. Residual sugar: 1.7 g/L. Serve at: 8-12 C. Drink now-2018. Food pairing idea: apéritif, vegetarian curry, grilled shrimp with fruit salsa.
CHARDONNAY WITH A TWIST
For those of you who feel blasé about chardonnay, this is worth your investment. The Jura is a standout among chardonnay producers. It is 80 kilometres east of Burgundy, and with just over 1,700 hectares of vineyards, the Jura is France’s smallest wine region. It is also its coldest.
It is best known for vin jaune, an oxidized wine made with the savagnin grape, but the region’s producers do chardonnay with their own special take. I always find a slight nuttiness, alongside a leaner texture than you would find in Burgundy. Arbois Pupillin 2014, Côte de Caillot, Domaine de la Borde, France white, $40.25, SAQ # 12886427: Brilliant acidity, yet surprisingly rich. Combination of lemon and melons, maybe lime and some green apple in there as well, with a subtle hazelnut bitterness on the finish. Delicate spiciness and minerality as well. So interesting, as are most wines from the Jura. Residual sugar: 1.3 g/L. Serve at: 10-14 C. Drink now2020. Food pairing idea: lobster, sole and richer fish, scallops.
MINERAL MARSANNE
One of my favourite of the richer grapes is marsanne, and one of my favourite white wine regions is the northern Rhône. Normally rich and textured, there is one little-known appellation where the mineral meets the fat headon. And that is Saint-Péray. Just south of Cornas, it is the southernmost appellation in the north. The appellation is essentially a granite and limestone piece of rock; the wines are leaner and fresher than you find farther north. Saint-Péray 2015, Pic & Chapoutier, France white, $27.80, SAQ # 12889548: Apricot, peaches and a honeyed mid-palate. You think you are getting a richly textured wine, but just wait as the mineral and citrus note refreshes on the finish. Drink this cool to appreciate the acidity, but let it warm to get the fat. Residual sugar: n/a. Serve at: 10-14 C. Drink now2018. Food pairing idea: apéritif, moules meunières.
CALIFORNIAN PINOT GRIS
I wrote this summer about the greatness of Alsatian pinot gris, but I have tasted some excellent pinot gris from around the world this year. Jim Clendenen, one of California’s pioneers in pinot noir, has shown that this great grape has a place in California’s Santa Barbara sub-region. And it makes sense. If pinot noir can work, then why not its cousin, pinot gris? And for all of you who fear that pinot gris is always sweet, you can buy this knowing that it is as dry as dry can be. Pinot Gris 2014, Santa Barbara, Au Bon Climat, California white, $32.75, SAQ # 12510690: So spicy on the finish. There is a beautiful hidden ripeness here, with fresh pineapple and pear sharing the stage. A touch of orange peel — maybe that’s the spice and bitterness I feel. Beautifully textured and classy wine. Residual sugar: 1.6g/L. Serve at: 10-14 C. Drink now-2019. Food pairing idea: veal or pork roast with applesauce or fruit chutney.
FORADORI’S MANZONI
I love finding new and interesting white grape varieties. When I first saw Elisabetta Foradori’s manzoni bianco a few years back, I was intrigued, as I had no idea what it would taste like. Turns out it’s a cross between riesling and pinot blanc, and really tastes nothing like either. But it does taste great. Vigneti delle Dolomiti 2014, Fontanasanta Manzoni, Foradori, Italy white, $38.75, SAQ # 11580004: Great complexity of fruit ranging from dried apricot to tropical notes to citrus. It really depended on which sip I took. Primarily a wine built along acidity, there is a delicate fat that wraps around the mineral. Really pretty wine. Residual sugar: 1.9 g/L. Serve at: 8-12 C. Drink now-2019. Food pairing idea: apéritif, vegetarian curry, grilled shrimp with fruit salsa.