White wine country - Chavignol in the foreground with hilltop Sancerre in the background. All surrounded by vines.
Start the diet - get back in shape, and
scale back a bit with something a little
simpler like Sancerre. It just might be
my favorite expression of Sauvignon Blanc.
Sure, Sancerre is a favorite in the summer,
but for these dry, nippy evenings a chilled,
refreshing glass of Sancerre seems just right
when I come in from the cold. It is also the
perfect wine for cheese. Right, a crisp
white - not a red - is my choice for
cheese most every time.
And, for me that is Serge Laporte's
Sancerre. It has got more weight than
any Sancerre I've ever tasted. It is a blend
of citrus wrapped in honey and minerals.
Here is how one reviewer described Serge's Sancerre: "A really refreshing and zippy Sauvignon Blanc with mineral undertones, some ripe peach, and zingy acidity". Sounds good no?
If you need some convincing, I read in
La Revue du Vins de France that
Serge's Sancerre won one of the stingily
doled out Coup de Coeur awards - the
only Sancerre that they chose from the
hundreds of entries at this year's salon
(wine fair) in Paris. La Revue is
France's equivalent of Robert Parker's
Wine Advocate. Here's what they said:
"Beautifully ripe Sauvignon enhanced by notes
of lively acidity in the finale."
The Laporte vineyards are located on several
different sites in Chavignol.
Chavignol is a village/commune just northwest
of the city of Sancerre and arguably the best
place to grow Sauvignon Blanc. Laporte's
properties are beautifully exposed on the
hillsides. Terroir is important in
Sancerre.
Laporte's Sauvignon Blanc is planted in
parcels of caillottes which is a stony
limestone with little soil and also in
parcels of argile-calcaire which is clayey
limestone. Each soil type contributes to the
wine: caillottes produce wines that
are forwardly fruity with finesse,
argile-calcaire creates wines that are
structured and long-lived. It is just about
the best combination you can have in a
Sancerre. Serge picks his grapes by hand and
vinifies them parcel by parcel to assure that
the individual flavors and aromas are
accentuated.
Not only does Sancerre go well with all of
the usual white food and it is a natural with
any fish but it also enjoys the company of
anything garlicky or Asian. What about
grilled peppers or fennel? Sancerre can
handle all of those flavors. I have my
Sancerre chilling in the refrigerator. What
are you drinking tonight? Cynthia
Hurley
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