Domaine Daulny Sancerre, 2005

My last bottle of a Domaine Daulny Sancerre was February 14 with a shrimp dish. That was Etienne Daulny's beautiful 2004 Clos Chaudenay. For shrimp with pesto linguine last night I opened another Domaine Daulny Sancerre, this time the 2005 regular bottling. And it was Valentine's Day all over again--a lovely marriage of smells, flavors and textures.

The 2005 Daulny is fresh and lively--a medium light gold/green with tightly focused aromas and flavors of citrus, gooseberry, flowers and steely minerals. It's got the crisp greenish tone that blends perfectly with pesto. That's sauvignon blanc, and this version is as good as any I've had from New Zealand or elsewhere. What it has in addition are broad, deep flavors and textures that pick up the shrimp, walnuts, olive oil and parmesan. The last glass--after I've given up on the shrimp/pesto linguine--is the best. At this point, the wine has a softer, riper texture and seems to grow with each sip, adding nuances I hadn't noticed before. When I had the Clos Chaudenay last February, I decided that it was worth a few extra bucks over the regular bottling. Now I'm convinced that the regular bottling has its own charm. It all depends on your meal and your mood.