Holiday Vinterlude – Some Nice White Wines We’ve Tried Lately

“The discovery of a wine is of greater moment than the discovery of a constellation. The universe is too full of stars.” – Benjamin Franklin

We’re going to take a break from reviewing wines that were mentioned in the great book by Kermit Lynch, Adventures on the Wine Route: A Wine Lover’s Tour of France, to review some really nice whites (three Chardonnays, three Sauvignon Blancs) we’ve had in the last few weeks. Any of these would make great holiday gifts for the wine lover on your list.

You know the old saying – “You can’t wear white after Labor Day!” Well, a lot of people say you can’t drink white after Labor Day. To that I say “Bah!” Whites are good any time of year. I do admit I tend to drink more red wines in the winter than in the summer, but there are still many, many reasons to drink white wines in the “off-season.” 

Many of these I have found by reviewing Wine Spectator or other publications to try to find good values, new wines, and interesting wineries to sample. So let’s get to it!

First, the Chardonnays….

Chateau Philippe le Hardi Mercurey Chardonnay (Burgundy)

Hmmm…. This looks familiar. Oh yeah, we did the le Hardi Mercurey Pinot Noir in our last blog post. This time we’re focused on the same vineyard, same vintner, but the Chardonnay instead of the Pinot.

Not to repeat myself (okay, I will), but you may remember that in several previous posts, we noted that Burgundy wines are always 100% of one grape. Most of the white wine in Burgundy is Chardonnay (approximately 49% of all grapes grown there).

Our Mercurey Chardonnay comes from the Côte Chalonnaise district of Burgundy; the Oxford Companion says that Mercurey is the “most important village” in that district.” The le Hardi Château has been around for quite a while; mtouton.com told us:

Domaine du Château Philippe le Hardi (formerly Château de Santenay) was once the majestic stately home of the first Duke of Burgundy. This historic estate is one of Burgundy’s most prestigious producers….The Château was built in the 9th, 12th and 16th centuries. It was formerly one of several properties belonging to the Duke of Burgundy, Philippe le Hardi (1342-1404), and was named after him for centuries to come.  

Let me just start out by saying that I love, love, love Burgundy Chardonnays. They are so identifiable at first sniff and taste – bold and minerally, usually, but they are clearly more distinctive than other Chardonnays (especially Californians, though I have nothing against Californians!). A few samples of tasting notes from other sources:

·         Winebuyers.com: “A fragrant and delicate wine redolent of citrus and stone fruit, with a creamy texture and refreshing acidity. The finish is impressive, leaving impressions of hazelnuts and sweet spice.”

·         Total: “Hints of mineral, lime and vanilla round out the long, complex finish.”

·         Wine Enthusiast: “This wine is textured, with some spice as well as a tangy orange and lemon character.”

The Oxford Companion notes that Burgundy produces “what are widely considered the finest full-bodied dry white wines in the world.” I would second that emotion! And at $40-$50, this one is a true bargain in my book.

Estate De Wetshof Limestone Hill Chardonnay (South Africa)

This is a lovely Chardonnay from South Africa. I noticed that it kept getting good reviews in Wine Spectator, and it was on the magazine’s Top 100 list in 2021, so I decided to try it. De Wetshof is a famous name in South African wines. According to the estate’s website:

The name De Wetshof has been synonymous with the production of fine wines in South Africa since the 1970’s. As the first registered wine estate in the Robertson Wine Valley, De Wetshof has become known internationally as South Africa’s eminent Chardonnay House due to the pioneering role it played in introducing this noble Burgundian grape to the country. The De Wet family’s winemaking heritage can, however, be traced back to 1694 when the first De Wets arrived at the Cape and immediately made a mark on the South African wine industry.

Gold Medal Wine Club tells us:

The location of the Robertson Valley and its rich limestone base, less than 100 Kilometers (a little over 62 miles) from Agulhas, Africa’s southernmost point, is perfect for the cold-loving Chardonnay to flourish. The chilling currents from the southern oceans causes cooling winds to blow inland on summer afternoons, thereby freshening the vineyards and providing the Chardonnay with a much needed infusion of zest that nourishes the vines.

The winery tells the story: “Heavy clay soils rich in limestone allow this Chardonnay to emit optimum varietal expression in a cloak of rich complexity. An un-wooded wine, Limestone Hill has notes of grapefruit and nuts, with the complexity balanced by a nuanced elegance ending with a delicate ripeness.”

Wine Spectator tells us: “Pear and pineapple fruit flavors are bright and juicy in this lively Chardonnay. Lithe and zesty, with accents of wet stone, grated ginger and verbena gliding through on the lip-smacking finish.” I thought it was crisp and minerally, and a standout Chardonnay. It’s available for around $17 at most wine shops.

Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay

This is a really nice value Chardonnay from an interesting vineyard in California’s Livermore Valley east of San Francisco Bay – not a place you’d normally first think of when considering California wines. According to its website,  “Wente Vineyards is the longest, continuously family-owned and operated winery in the United States…. In 1912, 2nd Generation Ernest Wente persuaded his father and founder, C.H. Wente, to import Chardonnay cuttings from a well-known vine nursery, F. Richter Nursery in Montpellier, France, to the Livermore Valley. Ernest hand-picked vines that showed the best health and pronounced flavors, grafted the two together, and propagated those characteristics forward. The result was aptly called the ‘Wente Clone’, which today makes up over 75% of all Chardonnay planted in California!”

The vineyard takes pride in its sustainability practices and says it is “a certified sustainable vineyard and winery from the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. Less than ten percent of wineries hold both the vineyard and winery certifications.”

This one is a personal favorite of Lisa’s and is bright and crisp with light oak and buttery notes. And it’s a bargain at around $12-$14.

Three nice Sauvignon Blancs

I’m generally a big fan of Sauvignon Blancs, especially Savs from New Zealand (yes, that’s what they often call them down there), but sometimes I can get tired of them as some of the more common (and cheaper) New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are way too citrusy, both on the nose and in the mouth. (Some even get the interesting description of “cat piss” – maybe just a little too much literal interpretation for me!)

First I wanted to try some different SVs from the Marlborough region of New Zealand so I rounded up a couple:

Greywacke is a winery that has been in business since 2009 and, according to the winery website, “is the Marlborough label of the Judd family and the name of New Zealand’s most abundant bedrock. These understated grey river stones are found throughout Marlborough’s rivers and alluvial vineyard soils” and has “a small, dedicated team running the company from Greywacke HQ in the heart of Marlborough’s Omaka Valley.” The website goes on:

The fruit is sourced from mature vineyards in prime viticultural sites to optimise the potential afforded by Marlborough’s sunny South Pacific climate. All vineyards are sustainably managed with substantial and increasing proportions coming from organically farmed sites. Crop levels are restricted to enhance concentration of flavour and a long, cool growing season produces fruit with incredible varietal intensity and bright, natural acidity. Meticulous canopy management regimes are employed to provide sufficient fruit exposure to deliver ripeness of flavour, textural richness and optimum acid balance.

As for tasting notes, the winery’s website says it’s like “a summer fruit salad – ripe golden peaches, honeydew melon, nectarines and passionfruit, with a generous splash of cassis and a sprinkling of lime zest – this is a subtle, delicately aromatic, ripe interpretation of Marlborough sauvignon blanc. The palate is generous and textural, showing great concentration and finishing with a crisp, succulent finish.”

James Suckling’s review: “A very fresh, lime and grapefruit nose with a gently herbal thread, as well as green passion-fruit notes. The palate has a captivating fusion of fresh acidity and rich, fleshy fruit flavors. Zesty and intense.” Christina Pickard in Wine Enthusiast says it has “Aromas of bright peach, passionfruit, orchard blossom and a vegetal note are seamless on the nose. They flow gently to the palate where there’s a lovely texture, freshness and overall harmony.”  Thewinebuyer.com tells us: “Classic New Zealand loaded with succulent passion fruit, guava, pineapple and pink grapefruit aromas which are underscored by a fresh herbal element. Lush layers of sweet melon, tropical and yellow stone fruit flavors are complemented by an attractive minerality.”

All in all, I thought it was an excellent SV, not too citrusy, and definitely lighter and fresher than most from New Zealand. You can find it for around $20.

Update: the 2021 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc made Wine Spectator‘s Top 100 wines of 2022 at #13.

Nautilus shows up on many lists of favorite Marlborough Savs from New Zealand. According to the winery’s website: “Nautilus is unusual in effectively having two wineries side by side. The first was built in 2000 and is dedicated to the inspiring but sometimes infuriating grape that is Pinot Noir. The second built in 2006 is for white wine making facility to process our Sauvignon Blanc, Cuvée, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.”

The wine itself is delightful. The winery tells us: “The 2021 Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc displays intense lifted aromas of blackcurrant, guava, ripe grapefruit and a hint of smoky flint. The palate introduces delightful citrus based mouth-watering intensity and finishes with a strong textural component.” Wine Spectator says it is “Elegant and aromatic, with intense lemongrass and lemon thyme notes leaping from the glass, plus supple citrus and apple flavors at the core. Delivers details of white tea and white pepper that linger.”

Nautilus is another great bargain at $17-$20.

Husch Renegade Sauvignon Blanc is a personal favorite of mine. Full disclosure: the owners are personal friends of mine, but that doesn’t mean the wine is not excellent. Husch is a family-owned (3^rd generation) vineyard in the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County in the far northern part of California, and is the oldest winery in the Anderson Valley appellation. It is also a wonderful winery to visit and has a lovely tasting room.

Husch specializes in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Gewurztraminer (apparently the terroir is especially good for that one), among others. But I am especially partial to its Sauvignon Blanc. The winery’s tasting notes include: “Lively aromas of white grapefruit, guava, lemongrass, green mango, and a hint of Asian pear leap from the glass. The wine is crisp and refreshing with flavors that mirror the aromas, with a lengthy and succulent finish.”

Husch is sometimes hard to find at retail outside California, but it has a great mail-order business, so check out its website. This Sauvignon Blanc is available for about $18. Highly recommended!!

Book recommendation: I’m a sucker for basic books about wine. If you’re looking for a nice gift for a wine newbie, this might be one of the best: The 24-Hour Wine Expert by Jancis Robinson. She’s one of the foremost wine writers and critics in the world and has produced such weighty tomes as The Oxford Companion to Wine. But this is a nice, slim, readable volume that will get anyone started on loving wine.

Wine Playlist: As mentioned in an earlier post, I like to create fun and funky playlists based on some of my interests, so I’ve created a wine playlist – songs with titles or lyrics that include wine. You can find it on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5rAwgh9Thiary4zUplUsaN

Here’s this post’s entry:  The wonderful Emmylou Harris with “Two More Bottles of Wine.” “Ain’t gonna let it bother me today/I been workin’ and I’m too tired anyway/But it’s all right ’cause it’s midnight/And I got two more bottles of wine.”