Loire

Le Grand Ballon Sauvignon Blanc 2011 Vin de Pays du Val de Loire, France 7.99
100% Sauvignon Blanc, which was grown on the clay and silex soils of the banks of the river in the Touraine region, just 50kms east of
Tours. The vines are 25 years old and planted at a density of 6,600 vines/ha. The grapes were machine-harvested with a yield of 85hl/ha. Fruit was pressed in a pneumatic press, cold settled and then enjoyed a long alcoholic fermentation lasting 20 days in stainless steel tanks at 16°C. Aged on lees in stainless steel, the wine has had no oak influence. Winemaker Thierry Delaunay. Alc 12%, TA 4.27g/l, pH 3.24, RS 4.5g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 247 branches.

Green Loire sauvignon nose. Sandra says, rightly that it’s like drinking the water you’ve (over) cooked asparagus in.



Domaine Huet Le Haut-Lieu Sec 2007 Vouvray, Loire, France 19.99
100% Chenin Blanc from 15 year-old vines grown on brown clay and chalk soils. The grapes were hand-harvested and then fermented in oak: either barrels of 225l, tuns of 600l or vats of 3,000l capacity. Fermentation took place at low temperatures of 14 - 17°C and lasted roughly 2 months. Only yeasts from Domaine Huet’s own grapes and cellars were used, they never use cultured yeasts, preferring the indigenous ones that give a localised, more authentic flavour. Alc 13%, TA 5.66g/l, RS 7.7g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 36 branches.

Deep golden colour. Creamy nose. Bone dry and with a lot of texture. Strange and exciting wine.


Château Saint-Jean-des-Graves 2011 Graves, Bordeaux, France 8.49
50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Sémillon. Average vine age is 30 years, planted at 5,500vines/ha and yielding 50hl/ha. Soil is red sand/gravel over clay and limestone. Situated in the Graves region in a small village called Pujols-sur-Ciron, the Château is family-owned and has 9ha planted with white grapes. Hand-picked and put into stainless steel vats, cold-soaked for 12 hours followed by gentle pressing and fermented at 18°C for 15 days, then left on fine lees for 3 filtration. First bottling Spring 2012. Winemaker/Owner Jerry David. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 12%, TA 4.0g/l, pH 3.07,
RS < 2.0g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 162 branches.

Curiously dumb on the nose, if that’s not oxymoronic. Nice oaky and leesy texture. Savoury and dry.


Burgundy

Laurent Desvignes 2010 Chablis, Burgundy, France 13.99
100% Chardonnay planted at 5,500vines/ha on Kimmeridgian soils and Guyot, Cordon de Royat and Chablis pruned. Grapes were machine-harvested with a yield of 60hl/ha in late-Sept after a growing season characterised by wildly fluctuating temperatures. Fruit was pneumatically pressed and then fermented in stainless steel tanks at 20°C with selected yeast. Partial malolactic and matured in stainless steel for 9 months. Winemaker Bertrand Straebler. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 12.5%, TA 4.2g/l, RS 1.5g/l. Special Offer: Save 1/3, £13.99 - £8.99 from 10/10 to 30/10. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 257 branches.

Very little aroma. Lovely taste though. Very leesy and brightly acidic. Definitely worth snapping up in October and save until later in the year.

Waitrose White Burgundy 2011 France 7.99
100% Chardonnay from vines with an average age of 40 years, planted on limestone and clay soils around the village of Lugny. Grapes were harvested with a combination of machine and hand picking in the 2nd week of Sept 2011. Fruit was pressed in a pneumatic press, and the juice fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. 100% malolactic fermentation, then the wine was rested on its lees for several months. Just over 7% of the wine was aged in oak barrels for 7 months (25% new, and 75% 1 - 4 years old). Winemaker Gregoire Pissot. Alc 13%, TA 2.9g/l, pH 3.5, RS 0.72g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 267 branches.

Quite a dark golden colour. Not a great deal of aroma. Savoury and oaky and needing a little sweet fruit.

Nicolas Potel 2010 Pouilly-Fuissé, Burgundy, France 14.99
100% Chardonnay from the Mâcon. The vines are planted on clay and chalk soils with a planting density of at least 8,000vines/ha. The grapes were hand-harvested in a late vintage commencing 20th September with a yield of 50hl/ha. The fruit was pneumatically pressed and then fermented at 20°C in stainless steel vats. Matured for 9 months in tank with full malolactic and no oak influence. Winemaker Bértrand Straebler. Bentonite fined, so suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Alc 13.0%, TA 6.5g/l, pH 3.29, RS 2.0g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 232 branches.

Neutral aroma. No oak influence. Nice savoury palate. Enough breadth. Good.

Auvigue Le Clos 2010 Pouilly-Fuissé, Burgundy, France 19.99
100% Chardonnay from Jean-Pierre and his brother Michael Auvigue, who make some of the finest wines in the Mâcon region. The Chardonnay grapes used for this wine come from 45-year-old vines grown in their small Le Clos vineyard, a south-facing plot on sedimentary limestone. Both alcoholic and malolactic fermentations take place in 1-year-old French oak casks. Racked off gross lees, the new wine is matured on fine lees with regular bâtonnage for 12 months. Alc 13.0%. IWC Silver Medal Winner. Available from Waitrose
Wine Direct and 4 branches.

Toast and lime marmalade on the nose. Quite a lot of oak on the palate. I’d give it a year or so to calm down.

Vincent Girardin Le Limozin 2010 Meursault, Burgundy, France 29.99
100% Chardonnay sourced from Le Limozin vineyard in Meursault, just under the Premier Cru parcel of Les Genevrières. Grapes were harvested by hand and sorted at the winery before being pressed. Fermentation and then maturation took place in oak barrels, 15% new oak, for 9 months. Winemaker Vincent Girardin, oenologist Eric Germain. Alc 13.5%, TA 4.58g/l, pH 3.8, RS <2.0g/l. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 220 branches.

Rich and beautiful nose. Zingy and exciting palate. A really lovely wine.




Rhône

Jean-Luc Colombo La Redonne 2011 Côtes du Rhône, France 12.99
66% Viognier with 34% Roussanne made by Jean-Luc Colombo with fruit from various vineyards throughout the Côtes du Rhône. The grapes are grown on granitic schist, and the vines are gobelet trained and planted at a density of 8,000vines/ha. The fruit was harvested by hand and fermented in stainless steel tanks at 14°C. The new wine was then matured for 10 months on the yeast lees, with 20% of the blend ageing in oak. Alc 13.5%. Available from Waitrose Wine Direct and 236 branches.

Fruity and appealing nose. Savoury, oaky and dry. A food wine, I think.

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