GREAT WHITES

BRILLIANT WHITES FROM LISMORE REVISITED

We have covered a lot of ground during our wine journey, but there are some stories that are so unique and remarkable that they should not be forgotten. Lismore is one of those. California native and former T.V. writer Samantha O’Keefe, along with her husband at the time, made the conscious decision to get away from it all, and managed to end up about as far from Southern California as one could imagine…into the mountains in the area of Greton in South Africa where they fell in love with a visually spectacular site named Riversonderend, a 300-hectare property that was a dairy ranch.

It had never been a wine farm, nor had Samantha ever made wine, but the connection subsequently became serendipitous. The place was, as Sam put it, ‘an hour past nowhere’. From the farm, for example, it is more than an hour’s drive just to get groceries. But the couple decided this remote, untested area would be an excellent place to grow grapes.

The challenges were enormous, so much so that Sam’s husband made an early exit. O’Keefe built a house and a winery, and the vineyards were planted in 2003. The first commercial release was 2008. The Overberg region is unique in South African viticulture as it is a particularly cool growing area, with grapes taking as much as 3 to 4 weeks longer to mature. The combination of cool temperatures and altitude was a unique and emerging trend in South Africa. This particular project just happened the furthest out. As it turned out, Riversonderend was particularly suited for four of the five grapes Sam planted.

Besides the normal array of issues like weather and disease that can face any vintner, this distinct plot of land had a few additional challenges. Because this was a remote, even somewhat ‘wild’ area, the threat from abundant numbers of voracious birds to the final crop added more uncertainty. There was even another ‘wild card’ to this winery’s story that we can’t recall ever hearing in all of our years doing this…baboons. Yes, baboons. Apparently they show up in numbers when the crop is reaching optimum time to pick. Samantha says they are good indicators of when it is time to harvest. The place even burned down thanks to a wildfire reportedly set by two children.

You’ve got to admire her chutzpah. But she is still at it and her newest releases are once again completely unique and absolutely brilliant. Samantha says she is trying to emulate a top drawer Meursault stylistically. Mission accomplished. The Lismore Chardonnay Estate 2021 has plenty of that resiny, nutty, spicy character running through her intensely flavored Chardonnay to make you think of the Cote d’Or, yet there is an element to the peach/apple fruit that sets it apart from most of the world’s Chardonnays. It is a Chardonnay that can hold its own with virtually any produced on the planet.

Nice notes from the somewhat stingy Neal Martin as well, “94 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay Estate Reserve is 100% from Greyton matured for 11 months in 500-litre barrels, 40% new. It has a wonderful bouquet with honeydew melon, apricot blossom and light crushed stone scents that percolate through with time. The palate is very well balanced with tropical hints of passion fruit and guava, but the acidity keeps everything on a tight course, very minerally on the finish. Top class…94 points.”

The story of the Lismore Viognier Age of Grace 2022 is similar. This has everything a great Condrieu has in terms of personality but boasts the kind of backbone acidity that seems virtually impossible for this fussy varietal. The nose has the classic floral, peach, brown spice, floral, and honey tones you expect from Viognier, but seemingly flashing a bit more energy than most versions. All of those flavors reveal themselves on the palate but with an unexpected verve.

Martin was a fan of this one as well, “The 2021 Viognier The Age of Grace comes from Sutherland and Bot River, whole bunch pressed with 11 months on the lees using 15% concrete eggs. With pretty white peach and Mirabelle scents on the nose, this takes time to blossom, but it never fully lets go. The palate is medium-bodied with a gorgeous dried apricot, mango and spicebox entry, nothing blowsy here with a very focused, almost understated finish. Excellent…93+ points!

The conclusion is the same. These whites, from a remote place that never grew grapes before made by someone who came in with no winemaking background, can stand alongside any example we can think of. They aren’t cheap, but the prices given the quality and the hardship, are more than justifiable. How did this come about? We certainly can’t explain it. But if you think we’re saying that these wines from the middle of nowhere in South Africa deserve a place alongside Condrieus, Meursaults, and Montrachets, we absolutely are. And, relative to things like that, they are relative bargains, baboons notwithstanding.

We’d be naive to think that enough people would listen to our rant and buy buckets of these wines. Changing the thinking in the wine world has long been an uphill battle. Heck, not that much of this stuff is produced in the first place. But Lismore is a unique and solitary endeavor that deserves serious attention.

TASTY ‘LITTLE’ SAUMUR FROM A TOP SOURCE

The central figure in this story is Arnaud Lambert, author of the Chateau de Brézé Cremant we sold a while back and the owner of forty hectares of vineyards of serious vineyards in the Loire. The holdings are principally within three communes: two within the Saumur-Champigny appellation (Montsoreau and Saint-Cyr, on opposite sides of the appellation—north and south, respectively) and the resurrected, historic commune, Brézé, on the southernmost border of the AOP Saumur-Champigny.

Lambert bottles nearly twenty different cuvees under Chateau de Brézé and his own eponymous label. He is highly respected in the region and has garnered some strong press for his still wines from a number of writers, particularly the reds. So when Lambert does something, we pay attention. This cuvee is new to us and a little less specific than most of his work which focuses on specific sites. That’s fine by us as the combination of Lambert’s skills, the quality of his sites and the riper 2022 vintage combine to make an engaging, complex, rather accessible window into this producer’s style.

As we have said many times, we are de facto fans of Chenin Blanc and consider it one of the world’s great whites by virtue of not only it’s quality when it is at its best, but also its versatility to perform beautifully in every expression from bone dry to exotic, botrytised dessert wines. This one is dry and fairly easy going as Chenin Blanc goes, making it a perfect ambassador for both Chenin and Lambert.

The nose on the Arnaud Lambert Saumur Blanc Les Parcelles 2022 is an inviting mixture of classic Chenin with notes of orange, peach, and quince with streaks of earth and chalky minerality. All of this comes through on the palate in a dry but fruit focused style, with a rounded, supple palate feel and without the sometimes searing acidity that can make this varietal difficult for some folks to appreciate. Because of Lambert’s approach to Chenin emphasizing the varietal purity and unique terroir of Saumur, and this wine’s relatively gentler demeanor make it a wine to win friends for the region.

The modest fare ($21.98) for this blend of a variety of properties (hence the title Les Parcelles) also make this a marvelous option for a broader range of people and more food applications. It is particularly good for lighter Asian and fish dishes as well as offering up a lovely aperitif option that, while it is an easy approach to the varietal, it is definitely not the ‘same old thing.’ Holiday ham? You bet! Classy, workhorse, versatile Chenin from an impeccable source, yeah we got that.

A WONDERFUL, ‘HISTORIC’ WHITE FROM ALSACE

There are many less traveled paths in the wine world where some truly special things can happen. We feel it is our duty as wine merchants to point things like that out for you consideration. Sometimes we wonder why we do it. Guess it’s just the wide-eyed geekiness that we still haven’t lost after all these years. Take this wine. A Alsace white made by a cooperative without a varietal designation for over $30? What next? Hungarian Cabernet Franc? Oh wait, we already did that. Orange wines from Georgia (the country not the state)? Yeah, did that too. If it’s worth knowing about, we’re on it, and this striking little gem is definitely something worth knowing about.

We’ll start with the producer. Cave de Ribeauvillé is a well-run cooperative in Alsace. In their words, Cave de Ribeauvillé covers a unique vineyard of 235 hectares with 8 Grands Crus and numerous high-value terroirs. The entire estate is managed by a quality charter which guarantees manual harvesting, strict control of yields, work in the vineyard using sustainable management or organic farming. All the grapes are brought to the press in whole bunches and the juice then flows by simple gravity into the vats. Thanks to state-of-the-art equipment, the wines from Cave de Ribeauvillé respect the purity of the grape variety and the identity of each terroir. The wines are frank, straight, fresh, fruity and express all the richness of the great Alsatian terroirs.

In other words this isn’t some local cooperative just phoning it in as some do and we have brought to your attention a number of high functioning operations like this over the years like Produttori di Barbaresco, Terlano, and Domaine Wachau to name a few. This is our first experience with Cave de Ribeauvillé but, if they can do things like this, we need to dig a little deeper. The cooperative itself dates back to 1895.

As to the wine itself, this is a stylistic take on the work of Alsace icon Marcell Diess. Deiss’s thing is to highlight terroirs in great vineyards. In this mindset, he does not highlight specific varietals but harvests the various grapes from a vineyard as a field blend and identifies them by the name of the vineyard only. These wines are dazzling and highly sought after, as well as not cheap. The Clos de Zahnacker is planted to Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer.

The history of this Clos is pretty interesting. The oldest writings date its origins back to the 8th century, to the time when Benedictine monks divided their time between prayer and work on the land. The creation of this walled vineyard is attributed to monk-knight Martin Zahn after returning from the crusades. It was a subject of dispute among the Lords of Ribeauville in the Middle Ages and was said to be a favorite of the Sun King Louis XIV. It has been a part of the Cave de Ribeauvillé since 1965.

The nose of the Cave de Ribeauvillé Clos du Zahnacker 2015 speaks of lemon zest, tea, mineral and stone fruits with faint hints of lychee. In the mouth is it rich, rather ample, a little exotic, yet with just the right amount of lift to support its frame and maintain appropriate freshness. It almost feels the weight of a vendage tardive but isn’t particularly sweet and it is loaded with character. At age 8 it shows no signs of fading and has palate coating extract. We’ve had a few nice surprises from the 2015s recently.

We found one review from Wine Enthusiast that kind of captures the essence of this grand but surprising effort, “Chalk, chamomile tincture and dried lemon peel have immense lift on the nose of this wine. They also pervade the bright, balm-like but concentrated palate with their aromatic intensity. This wine is fluid and layered, showing signs of evolution that is set to continue for many years. Gentle sweetness balances the bracing freshness and makes this a real experience. The finish is off dry but very balanced and long. Drink until 2040…94 points.”

We don’t have a lot of it but we had to tell the story.

THRILLING NEW RHONE WHITE: GONNET VACQUEYRAS BLANC

There are many stories we have told before, including the one about Guillaume Gonnet. For those that haven’t run across this before, we’ll retell the story. Guillaume Gonnet is the name of one of the proprietors of Rhone estate that is called Font du Michelle. We have been big fans of this estate for a long time.

The ‘style of the house’ seems to always showcase a certain sappy sexiness to the fruit that makes them particularly engaging in the glass. The family has been in the Rhone Valley for some 400 years and settled this particular spot around 1880. Etienne Gonnet created this estate under the Font de Michelle moniker back in 1950, and it is now run by Guillaume and Bertand Gonnet.

When given the opportunity to move some additional wine through ‘appropriate channels’, Guillaume created the Guillaume Gonnet label. It has been an extremely fruitful source and we have sold a number of different selections based on the remarkable quality and value that this label has delivered. This offering diverts from our usual position thus far with the Gonnet wines as it is white wine! To take it a step further, we don’t ever remember offering a white Vacqueyras, well, ever! Vacqueyras only became its own appellation in 1990, apparently with whites as an approved portion of the mix though they only represent about 3% of the production.

Like we said, we’ve not proffered one before but this little jewel from Guillaume Gonnet definitely made an impression. The Guillaume Gonnet Vacqueyras Blanc La Sauvage 2022 is composed of 70% Grenache Blanc, 15% Viognier, 15% Clairette from 40+year-old vines situated in sand and light clay soils situated on terraces. The term ‘sauvage’ (wild) refers to the open spaces and natural garrigue that surrounds the vineyard. The grapes are destemmed and fermented entirely in stainless steel via natural yeasts. It is not put through malolactic to preserve the wine’s bright supportive acidity.

The Grenache Blanc delivers the thrust with a broad, rich, unctuous palate flashing engaging elements of pear, peach, white flowers and citrus, with some florality and honeyed tones courtesy of the Viognier with the Clairette reenforcing the underlying verve. Plump and textured, this is a terrific white with the dual ability to play with a variety of Asian dishes or provide a compelling choice to just haul off and drink. It provides the kind of profile you get with a Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc at a fraction of the price ($18.98). Simply a very tasty white.

GOOD GERMAN DRY RIESLING

We have been pretty vocal regarding our general dislike for the results of the newish trend towards trocken (dry) German Riesling. To clarify, we are mainly targeting the trockens from the Mosel houses, many of whom have been making delightful traditional styled Rieslings for decades, in some cases centuries. Egged on by the sommelier community a number of top flight Mosel producers are dedicating increasing portions of their production to dry wines. Sadly we find most of them lean and skeletal with little innate charm beyond clearing your palate for the next bite.

We also have to wonder why? The Mosel’s classic, crystalline, fruity Rieslings are unique in the wine world and pair spectacularly with a variety of Pacific Rim, Island, and far Eastern dishes. Plus they are newcomers to a genre that is already beautifully (and better) executed in Austria, Alsace, and Australia, not to mention their own back yard.

They have been making excellent dry Riesling in the Rheinpfalz and Rheinhessen for a long time. The growing conditions are different and they trockens from those regions have more body, palate weight, texture, and substance. One of the house favorites for trockens around here is Wittmann in the Rheinhessen. Hand harvested from organically farmed (and certified biodynamic) estate vineyards around the village of Westhofen, the grapes are fermented via native yeasts and matured in large neutral casks.

The nose shows notes of lemon and lime zest, a little honeysuckle, some notes like fresh grain, and stone fruit pith. In the mouth there is tension, but not at the expense of texture. There is weight on the palate with flavors mirroring the nose along with some earthy minerality and chalk notes. If you’re looking for a fine example of German trocken, the Wittmann Riesling Rheinhessen Estate Trocken 2021 is where you go.

From James Suckling, “Stunning nose of ripe pear, mandarin orange and smoke. Impressive concentration for the challenging vintage with a nice juiciness and good chalky minerality. Long, surprisingly complex and harmonious finish, the acidity already beautifully integrated. From biodynamically grown grapes with Respekt certification. Vegan. Drink or hold. Screw cap…92 points.”

From Wine Advocate, “From Westhofen’s stonier soils and assembling 28 different vats, Wittmann’s 2021 Riesling trocken Estate is the former Gutswein, but it’s already a wine that is more than just a Riesling pleasure. The white-yellow colored wine offers a clear and spicy, pure and mineral nose with ripe, elegant fruit with herbal nuances. Mouthfilling, round and textured on the palate, this is a juicy yet pure, saline and finessed, very stimulating dry Riesling with delicate lemon bitters on the finish that reveals some ripe white-peach aromas on the aftertaste. This was vinified in large oak and stainless steel (70/30) and aged on the full lees for nearly six months. Tasted at the domaine in August 2022. 11.5% stated alcohol. Screw-cap closure…91+ points.”

A FRESH TAKE ON PASO WHITE: FAVORITE NEIGHBOR CHARDONNAY

The back story here is worth knowing. The property was assembled by two orphaned brothers, Dick and Claude Booker, back in the ‘20s. Over the decades their property grew to nearly 1200 acres of land which they ultimately left to charity on their passing. They were exceptional farmers and humanitarians. Eric and Lisa Jensen acquired a 100 acre parcel of the estate in 2001. Eric learned the ropes working with Justin Smith (Saxum) and Stephan Asseo (L’Aventure). In 2005 Jensen launched his own winery which he named for the brothers, Booker. This producer has been pretty much a juggernaut since its inception. Booker Syrahs and Rhone Blends moved into the spotlight almost from the outset.

Their own words define the ongoing vision of the estate, “Booker is dedicated to the pursuit of farming perfection, constantly striving to find the perfect balance in the vineyard through certified organic farming practices as well as methods that draw inspiration from biodynamics. The westside of Paso Robles terroir is unique, boasting extreme vertical slopes and calcareous soils. Limestone beds with very little water make it hard to believe that anything could grow, yet the Booker estate produces some of the greatest wine grapes on earth.”.

They eventually they decided to add to the portfolio by creating an adjunct label which was originally marketed un the Booker banner, using their relationships, particularly that with Asseo as the inspiration for the new name, My Favorite Neighbor. It didn’t stop there as Jensen went on to create another label in honor of his parents who, in his words, “loved wine, but in today’s world, couldn’t have afforded a quality bottle.” Harvey and Harriet is the brand.

The reach for quality grapes has spread beyond the confines of Jensen’s estate to include other like-minded growers for additional fruit, organics and biodynamics being the words of the day every day. Everything is made at the solar powered winery at Booker. Even the purchase by mega corporation Constellation hasn’t changed the mantra…yet. What they have done is give each of the labels more or less their own stage and, while you can get info on each of them from the same website, they don’t use the Booker name on the other wines any more. They also probably had a hand in creating a white wine program though, clearly from the results, Jensen’s philosophy inspired the tasty, unique new lineup of whites.

Some might think California doesn’t need another Chardonnay, but the My Favorite Neighbor Blanc Chardonnay 2021 is expansive, palate coating efforts that has its own unique personality. Sure it’s ripe and layered. But it also boasts elements that one might associate with a something white from the northern Rhone. There’s spice, tropical notes, baked apple, and a richness to the fruit that some might confuse with sweetness. In any case this is a very likeable, maybe even a little exotic wine that lovers of big, bold domestic Chardonnay should embrace.

Erin Brook of robertparker.com liked it too, “The 2021 MFN Blanc Chardonnay is very ripe in style with scents of banana chip, apple pie, jasmine, allspice and brown sugar. The full-bodied palate is packed with ripe, spicy fruits and plenty of refreshing acidity, and it finishes long with a satiny, mouth-coating texture. It’s an old-school style reminiscent of Napa that fans of ripe, oaked Chardonnays will enjoy…97 points.”

WELCOME BACK WEINBACH

We’ve been fans of Alsace for a long time, though we’ll also note that media coverage of the category has dwindled over the years. In any case, one of our favorites back in the day was Domaine Weinbach. A number of things happened to upset the proverbial ‘applecart’ roughly a decade ago. The untimely passing of Laurence Faller who was running the estate, and mother Colette, kind of put things in a bit of disarray. Laurence’s sister Catherine took the reins, and was later joined by her sons.

There was also a marketing decision to increase pricing to the upper levels of the category within that time frame. On top of that, we were presented the wine hardly at all. So when someone brought by examples of new releases from this esteemed house, we were pleased and kind of felt like you feel when an old friend you haven’t seen in a long time shows up for a visit.

While the quality is still top flight, a few things had changed. The prices, which at one time seemed a bit of a leap, now are fair market because the rest of the crowd has caught up. There were some new items, too, including a ‘house blend’ (called edelzwicker in this part of the world) that was a real real find.

Called Domaine Weinbach Alsace Les Vignes du Prêcheur 2020 (suckling 91, $24.98), this is a co-fermented blend of 40% Riesling, 30% Auxerrois, 20% Pinot Gris, 5% Muscat, and 5% Sylvaner from the “Prediger” (“the Preacher”) vineyard, located beneath the Grand Cru Kaefferkopf on sandy and clay stilts, that sees 8 months in neutral barrels. It delivers a surprisingly complex, extremely versatile new option in the Alsace.

Classic Weinbach in style with a broad, expressive palate of flowers, apricot and peach fruit, a pleasing touch of sweetness and acidity that cuts gently and decisively to the finish. Delightful, moderately priced for the Weinbach stable, and very versatile with all manner of foods from German/Alsace, to traditional grilled fish, to Asian dishes, though it is always interesting by itself.

We also have a couple upper cuvees from this esteemed house. The Domaine Weinbach Pinot Gris Cuvée Ste. Catherine 2020 (Suckling 97, $47.98) is rich in the midpalate but light on its feet with a touch of sweetness and a nice cut of acidity at the finish. Biodynamically farmed from old vines in granite soils from both monople Clos des Capucins and Cru Schlossberg.

The Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Altenbourg 2020 (Suckling 98, $49.98) is everything one could want in a Gewurz perfectly proportioned. Altenberg is a lieu dit just below Grand Cru Furstentum and the southeast facing site has great sun exposure. Complex nose of flowers, honeysuckle, and nutmeg among other things, unctuous in the mouth but plenty lively.

Finally, the Domaine Weinbach Riesling Cuvée Colette 2020 is a cuvee named for mom from a plot of 40-year-old vines at the base of Schlossberg. Brown soils and granite rock yield a dry Riesling with both size and power, with floral, citrus, and the ever present, subtle streak of mineral.

We are thrilled to have these gems back in the house. Thai anyone?

RIDGE GRENACHE BLANC? A NEW STAR FROM A VAUNTED ‘OLD DOG’

You kind of have expectations from a producer like Ridge who has achieved great success with historic lineup of traditional California bottlings from grapes like Cabernet, Zinfandel, and Petit Sirah. Probably as a result of their constant experimentation with all kinds of ideas in their Advanced Tasting Program, they seem to have quickly mastered white Rhone varietals if this bottling is any indication.

Though this was our first look at this particular bottling, it looks like the program goes at least back to the 2018 vintage. The 2021 is a blend of 90% Grenache Blanc, 6% Roussanne and 4% Picpoul from the Adelaida Vineyard in Paso Robles (it’s right on the bottle). Fairly deep, healthy yellow color, it’s an energetic display of apricot, yellow melon, spice and floral notes.

There’s deceptive richness which the vibrant acidity keeps perfectly lifted and in line and an almost European sleekness to it’s definitely California body. We kept going back to it during the presentation to verify that it was really that good. It is! It probably isn’t unreasonable to compare it to other distinctive domestic whites like the old vine Chenin Blancs from Foxen and Chalone in that it is beautifully expressive and unique unto itself.

Another serious example of why we taste everything. A great match for white fish, shellfish, lighter handed chicken dishes and German styled pork roast. It can play all by itself as well.

MORE THAN JUST TXAKOLI

Not many folks around these parts even knew what Txakoli, the crisp white from the Basque country of Spain, even was a quarter century ago. But it has become something serious wine stores now need to have on hand. Most Txakolis are pretty utilitarian, crisp, lively, often a little fizzy foils for a wide variety of lighter finger foods or dishes that call for a white with some verve. Most of the time it is about the genre itself, rather than the ‘brand’.

While it isn’t quite ‘any Txakoli will do’, the stylistic range is fairly narrow. While we occasionally find one that stands out in a crowd (like the Hiruzta 2020 we sold a while back), usually its more about function in this arena. In that vein, the Txomin Etxaniz Blanco Txakolí de Getaria has been a staple for a couple of decades. Exemplary of the region, consistent year in and year out, we have always considered them a best of breed kind of choice to build around.

The other day a supplier rolled through here with a variety of samples from his Spanish book, and the Txomin Etxaniz Blanco Txakolí de Getaria 2020 was among the things in the bag. We already had the wine on the shelf and recall liking it a lot the first time around. But it had been some time since we had tried it. Honestly, we had forgotten just how good this was! It’s a wine that possesses plenty of the characteristics that one expects of a Txakoli. But it also has palate volume and fruit, something that is pretty rare in anything but the very best examples of the breed.

Txakolis these days do get some attention from the media because Spanish whites have become more topical, and usually the polite 89 or 90 point score. But this version of Txomin Etxaniz got dueling 92s from Decanter Magazine and Vinous. The Decanter review from nearly a year ago will give you a feel, “Made in the classic style, this blend of the two main Txakoli grapes – 85% Hondarrabi Zuri, 15% Hondarrabi Beltza – is fresh and lean with a spiky acidity punctuated by green apples, lime and a fizz of sherbet lemons. There’s a delightful tingle of petillance which sets it off nicely and introduces a slight mineral note on the finish. It cries out for oysters…92 points.”

We’d update that to say that the fizz factor is less these days, but the fruit component in gentler, more ample, and delicious. We picked up a little quince and maybe a tinge of ginger in the mix. We don’t have a Txakoli vintage chart handy but we have now had two epic, very memorable examples from the 2020 vintage. It’s not only exceptional Txakoli, it’s good enough to be considered outside its category just as a delicious, versatile white wine. As for the ‘oysters’ part, that’s still true.

BRILLIANT EXAMPLE OF A RARE, ECLECTIC FRENCH WHITE

First, a statement. We are not masochists and do not go out of our way to find things that are obscure and hard to say. But we don’t have any fears of going down that path if the juice merits the interest. This one ‘has it all’…a difficult name, from a relatively small segment of an already tiny category made with grapes that relatively few people are familiar with. Nevertheless, its delicious.

Sure it would be much easier to promote some mainstream grape like Chardonnay with an accompanying score from a well known media source. We’ll do that when the time comes. But if we didn’t pay attention to special wines like this and give them their moment, we would be doing a disservice to you as wine merchants.

The region is Madiran, inland and southeast of Bordeaux and best known for big brooding reds with bold tannins and high levels of resveratrol, the ‘life prolonging’ compound in Tannat based wines that was the groundbreaking discovery in a ‘Sixty Minutes’ piece called the “French Paradox” many years ago. But they make a bit of white wine there, too, mostly out of blends with grapes Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, and Petit Courbu. Most of those are sweet, but there is a small portion of dry renditions, which it will state on the label (sec is French for dry).

All that said, the Montus Blanc Sec Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh 2014, made by the acknowledged ‘top gun’ in Madiran for both ‘colors’, Alain Brumont, is a rare example of an outstanding example of this obscure category at what appears to be the prefect place in its history. Their description of the process is, ‘this wine’s special character is due to its vinification and ageing in 600 liter barrels, called demi-muids, made from wooden staves that are more than four centimeters thick. The impact of the wood on the wine is reduced, with a more mellow woodiness, beneficial to the preservation of the fruity aromas, while maintaining a perfect balance, for a very expressive, high quality wine.”

Add eight years of bottle age to the equation and you have something that hits notes that are rare and special in our experience. Probably the closest comparison we could make wouldn’t really bring it home for a lot of people but it has elements that remind us of an aged white Hermitage (the vines here, coincidentally, are on terraced hillsides). The palate is seamless and supple, with ample richness atop what is still a nice lift of acidity. The texture is creamy with pear, apple, and tropical fruit tones laced with subtle minerality, spice, and a slightly honeyed finished. Seductive and complex, this is a must try.

The genre of dry white Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh is a tiny category to be sure. We’ve tasted and carried the bottling from prior vintages, but we don’t recall a performance at quite this level. You can ponder this one on its own or serve it anywhere a dry, fairly rich while will do. Either way, it’s a treat.