Sunday, March 8, 2009

L. Mawby Blanc de Blans Brut, NV

I reported on Mawby's Blanc de Blanc when I visited the winery last summer. It was my favorite of all of the Mawby lineup for this year. When I saw it on the wine list at Every Day People Cafe in Douglas, MI, I jumped at the chance to order a half bottle.

It is still drinking beautfully--fresh and lively with yeasty, biscuity qualities on the nose and palate, everything I expect from a good Champagne and at a very decent price. As Larry writes on the label, "she's not French, but she makes your tongue dance."

I also had a glass of River's Edge Umpqua Valley Pinot Noir which was very good--more tart than ripe, more flowers than ripe cherry. With food, it was perfect. For the main course, I ordered pork shank in a mole negra sauce with garlic mashed potatoes and spaghetti squash--a fantastic meal. If you're ever in Douglas (or Saugatuk), Michigan, you should give this place a try. For me, it ranks right alongside the Common Grill in Chelsea as a favorite dining destination.

2 comments:

  1. How does Mawbys compare to Gruet, of New Mexico? Seems a comparable price point.

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  2. I haven't tried Gruet; in fact, I don't think I've seen any New Mexican wines in Michigan.

    My view is: if you want a really fine sparkling wine, you go for the real thing if you can afford it. And you can usually find Roederer or Taittinger discounted for $35 to $40. For many years, Jacqueson was available here for around $20, and it was hard to beat for that price. But I haven't seen it recently.

    When I'm serving a big group, I usually buy the Spanish cavas such as Cristalino. And my family all love Australian sparkling Shiraz.

    With the $15 to $20 sparklers, I don't have any clearcut favorites year after year, but the Mawby Blanc de Blanc seemed particularly good this year.

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