Joseph Mellot Destinea Sauvignon Blanc, 2008

Joseph Mellot is one of my favorite producers of Sancerre. This wine, though, is a Vin de Pays from less respected vineyards in the Val de Loire.

I find a lot more subtlety than I expected. Mint, melon, lemon peel and gooseberry--a softer, less shrill side of Sauvignon Blanc. It's fresh and lively, though, with good acidity. My biggest surprise comes when the wine sits in the glass for 15 to 20 minutes and gets closer to room temperature. This is ordinarily enough to make a cheap white wine show its true colors. But Destinea shows quality! The wine just keeps getting better and better. This is not Sancerre, but for $9.99, it's very good Loire Valley Sauvignon.