2018 Petit ChablisDomaine Roland Lavantureux
France | Burgundy
$30
Producers
These are the grapes that made it far enough to make a “sweet wine,” but not close to the level of concentration one would need for a Sauternes. The grapes were “saved from the water,” as another deluge right after they were picked would have made them practically unusable. Don’t get the wrong idea—Daniel, perfectionist that he is, still eliminated a ton of grapes and even a few barrels before arriving at a wine that he was comfortable releasing under his own label. This wine has a profile closer to a Vouvray Moelleux. You’ll find the aromas very Sauternes-like but without the same concentration or level of residual sugar. The result is a wine with the character of Sauternes that is much more versatile at table. This could both be a first and a last, so don’t miss the opportunity to taste it!
—Dixon Brooke
Wine Type: | dessert |
Vintage: | 2012 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Sémillon |
Appellation: | IGP Atlantique |
Country: | France |
Region: | Bordeaux |
Producer: | Domaine de l'Alliance |
Winemaker: | Valérie & Daniel Alibrand |
Vineyard: | Average of 50 years |
Soil: | Gravel, Clay, Sand |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux | Sauternes
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux | IGP Atlantique
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux | Sauternes
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux
Château Moulin France | Bordeaux | Fronsac
Château Graville-Lacoste France | Bordeaux | Graves
Often considered the wine capital of the world, Bordeaux and its wines have captured the minds, hearts, and wallets of wine drinkers for centuries. For many, the wines provide an inalienable benchmark against which all other wines are measured.
Bordeaux is divided into three winegrowing regions with the city that gives the region its name in the near geographical center. The “right bank,” or the area located east of the Dordogne River, produces wines that are predominantly Merlot with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The “left bank” is located to the west of the Garonne River and produces wines dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
The third region, Entre-Deux-Mers, lies between both rivers and produces white wines from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle. Though technically in the left bank, it is worth noting the appellation of Sauternes, which produces arguably the world’s most famous sweet wines from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle as well.
Though many top Bordeaux wines are sold en primeur (in advance of their bottling) and often through a middleman known as a negoçiant, Kermit has always preferred to purchase directly from the winemaker. For more than three decades he has sought out small producers, who make classic Bordeaux wines and are willing to play outside the negoçiant system. This ethic has led to longstanding relationships, excellent prices, and perhaps most important—wines of great value and longevity.
Château Léoville-Las Cases France | Bordeaux
Château Gombaude-Guillot France | Bordeaux | Pomerol
Château Léoville-Las Cases France | Bordeaux | Saint-Julien
Château Moulin Pey-Labrie France | Bordeaux | Canon-Fronsac
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux
Château Graville-Lacoste France | Bordeaux | Graves
Domaine de l’Alliance France | Bordeaux | Sauternes
Château Graville-Lacoste France | Bordeaux
Château de Bellevue France | Bordeaux | Lussac Saint Émilion
Château Gombaude-Guillot France | Bordeaux | Pomerol
Château Moulin France | Bordeaux | Fronsac
Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
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