Another inexpensive dessert wine from the Loire Valley. I paid $10.99 for this in Chicago, and I have seen it in Michigan for $12 to $14. It is a dandy.
The label gives you no hint that this is a dessert wine. It merely states "Vouvray," and a Vouvray can be dry, semi-dry or semi-sweet. Many on the market--even some with higher price tags--can be thin and rather uninteresting. Not this one.
Like Coteaux du Layon, Vouvray is made from Chenin Blanc grapes; they are simply from different regions of the Loire Valley. Both usually have a good dose of botrytis and age beautifully, taking on complex nuances with each passing year. In the 1970s and 1980s, most of these wines did not show very well when they were young, but that is certainly not the case today.
This Vouvray is much lighter in color than the CDL--still young. The "legs" it makes on the glass when you swirl it shows how rich and viscous the wine is going to be. The depth and concentration are apparent from the first sniff--all the qualities of Roulerie plus plus. Honey, peaches, quince, melon and citrus peel. Very pungent on both the nose and the palate--honey with very ripe brie or camembert cheese. Beautiful. Clings to tongue. Less sweetness, more power than the Roulerie. A dessert wine of this quality from any other region of the world would cost you at least $30.
I had the bottle open for nearly 10 days, drinking some each day. It held up extremely well, just getting better with exposure to air. I wouldn't hesitate to age this wine for two decades or more. But why wait?
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I tried Vouvray Domaine le Peu de la Moriette and would like to confirm this is a delicious wine. Good find!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful wine-appropriate name you have, my dear. Are you perchance a country mate of Sherry?
ReplyDeleteThe 2006 vintage of this was apparently not quite as sweet or as rich, according to the tasting notes of Dick Scheer of Village Corner in Ann Arbor. I haven't tried it yet. But I plan to.