Winter white wines are so scrumptious, with not only dense foods, but also with lighter foods. I don’t think of them so much as seasonal, anymore; i.e., “I only drink red wines in winter and white wines in summer.” That’s as passé as “one can’t wear white after Labor Day.” (Although, my mother is still turning in her grave, on this one…)
Our American society is finally becoming more sophisticated with wine. We’re beginning to realize that wine is an everyday beverage, and many of us are buying into the lifestyle. The more we travel to wine regions, the more we broaden our horizons and the expansion of our taste buds. Many of us have also found our own palates. We’re depending more and more, in this process of deciding what works best for us, and then forging our own memories.
Other opinions are great; we can learn from them. Ultimately, though, it’s on each of us to figure out what works best for our own taste buds. You might find a reviewer whose palate is very close to yours, then you’ve got a consultant.
I love bringing in regionalities, for instance. We connect more to the wines, with more knowledge… Regions are triggers for more enjoyment, on so many levels. This all goes beyond swirl, sniff, and down the hatch. It takes us to somewhere new. The experience I had with the Tablas Creek wine I’ll also be reviewing, for instance… one swirl, sniff, and taste…
I had just been tasting through some import wines. When I tasted one of them, I immediately knew it Californian. I’ve been blessed to have more than my share of California wines. I’ve also stepped outside of the US and gone into other wine regions of the world. Over time, I’m learning the differences. Each terroir is markedly unique. This, in turn, has more than the land determining flavors. It also has to do with practices, the people and their beliefs, and training; but, if I had been blindfolded during this tasting, and asked what location, I’d have said California, in a California second.
The following samples of white wines have arrived. Brands listed below are all unique, and have intriguing flavors in their own right. Flavors, balance, textures were right there for each wine.
- Domaine Matrot Bourgogne Blanc 2017 (Coq Au Vin)
- Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2018
- Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit de Tablas Blanc 2017
- Umani Ronchi Vellodoro Pecorino 2018
- Nik Weis St. Urbans-Hof Riesling 2018
Let’s Begin: Think Wine, Regionality (including terroir), and then Food
Domaine Matrot Bourgogne Blanc 2017
Wine
The Matros are located in Meursault, France, where they buy and sell the harvest from the vineyards of his father’s Héritiers du Domaine Joseph Matrot estate. The vines for this Domaine Matrot Bourgogne Blanc 2017 are about 30 years old. This gives the Chardonnay depth of an intricate quality, in a terroir that delivers perfect Chardonnays.
Add to this that the wine was fermentation for eight to 10 weeks, in oak barrels.
Fifteen to 20 percent were new barrels; so, the richness that this imparts to the wine is not lost on their prior use. Prior use continues to create barrels that become neutral vessels. New oak adds a vanilla character that rounds out the wine further with complexity. And, complex is a great word to describe this Bourgogne Blanc.
This is a very delightful and delicious wine; the complexity of it was not lost on this writer. Fruity (the grape) and creamy (the oak) are my best descriptions, and we shared it with other winemakers, Betsy and Bill Nachbaur, of ACORN Winery, and Tom Parmeson (Parmeson Wines). It deserved some great palates, who would also enjoy the wine as much as Jose (partner-husband) and I did.
Regionality
Burgundy, located on the eastern side of France, means that this is a Pinot Noir wine grape variety. (Southern Burgundy is where most of the Gamay wines are grown. That sub-region is called Beaujolais as are the wines.)
The family (from their Website):
Family estate since 1835. Adèle and Elsa, with their parents Pascale and Thierry Matrot, work together, guaranteeing the deserved quality of the culture, of the vines, the vinification, the aging of the wines, and their marketing.
The philosophy of Domaine Matrot (from their Website):
Aware of our precious heritage and the work accomplished by our ancestors, our goal is to protect the quality of our terroirs for next generations.
The wine must be the expression of the terroir and the vintage. To keep all the different characters of our wines we start by doing a careful job in the vines.
Best Food Pairing
After tasting the wine in my office, we took the bottle with us for a dinner engagement with Betsy and Bill Nachbaur. Betsy prepared a green salad, and slowly cooked this delicious Coq Au Vin with rice… The Coq Au Vin paired perfectly with the Domaine Matrot Bourgogne Blanc 2017, as well as her tiramisu.
Delicious foods to match and equally delicious wine…
Next will be Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2018
SAMPLES: Vineyard Brands has brought us the following wines, including this one… with the exception of the upcoming Nik Weis, brought to us by H.B. Wine Merchants.
- Domaine Matrot Bourgogne Blanc 2017 (Coq Au Vin)
- Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2018
- Tablas Creek Vineyard Esprit de Tablas Blanc 2017
- Umani Ronchi Vellodoro Pecorino 2018
- Nik Weis St. Urbans-Hof Riesling 2018
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