The French Revolution
Happy Sunny Friday Club Members!
What a week so far and it’s only Friday! As you remember, Friend invited me to do a wine-tasting session for his team and we had such a great time! Lots of happy faces around the table and a genuine interest in listening to me for 2 hours!
I also managed to spend a rare full day with Chef which revolved around restaurant visits, amazing food, coffee and some lovely wine. Where did we go you wonder? It will be all revealed next Tuesday!
Looking for a unique Christmas present? Why don’t you browse through our wine journey on our Home page to find the right wine for the right time?
French Revolution
This was the first time in our Accidental Tuesday Night Wine Club where we planned the evening properly. Wines from France, I was so excited! I already started my wine studies by the time I tasted a beautiful Chassagne Montrachet at the Le Champignon Sauvage Restaurant in Cheltenham, but that was the moment I completely fell in love with this world. And finally, I had a chance to show one of my favourite whites to Friend.
Louis Jadot Macon - Villages
The first white wine of the evening was straight away from southern Burgundy. Mâcon-Villages covers white wines across the top regions of the Mâconnais where they make mainly Chardonnay-based white wines made from fruit grown in one or more of the 27 titular "villages" of the Mâcon appellation.
There is no oak contact here and the freshness of this wine is undinable. The first notes on the nose are green apples with a hint of crisp citrus but it doesn’t stop here. The secondary notes of floral aromas are the ones to make a real difference with this Chardonnay. White blossom, orchard fruits with ripe melon and some grapefruit on the palate to follow; this just reminded me of the start of spring flowering in the garden. A light, slightly buttery texture but with a refreshing minerality and a lovely balance. It is youthful with a distinct style and a great length.
Name: Louis Jadot Macon - Villages
Origin: Burgundy, France
Grape: Chardonnay
ABV: 12.5%
Notes: Green apples and citrus notes on the nose, white and orange blossom flowers with grapefruit and melon on the palate. Very fresh, great minerality, youthful with a slightly creamy, buttery finish
Price: £13/bottle on offer now for only £11 with a Tesco Clubcard, really worth the trip to your local shop
Recommend with: It went very well with our Courgette and Leek white pizza! But any lighter salads, aubergines and mushrooms would be a good choice.
Where: Louis Jadot Macon - Villages 75Cl - Tesco Groceries
The one that became the all-time favourite: Clos de Nouys Vouvray Demi-Sec
There was a time, early on, when I had a Vouvray pretty much every week. I just couldn’t get enough of it. Dry or sweet, they all had a different story to tell every time I tried them.
This Vouvray Demi-Sec from the Loire Valley is made of 100% Chenin Blanc grapes. The grapes here in general have a very high acidity which means they can make varieties from sparkling wines to well-balanced dessert wines; with this one being a bit more on the sweeter side.
It looked so welcoming in the glass. Beautifully moving legs and the pale golden straw colour showed great potential and a very good body. Friend’s eyes lit up when he smelled it. Ripe peach, melon and delicate floral notes, all bound together in a honeydew mist! Candied apricots followed on the palate and with every sip, those layers of aromas just kept growing. Acacia, nectarine, sweet peaches and unforgettable citrus notes to finish; this is a very complex Chenin. The palate is rich, concentrated and well-balanced between sweetness and acidity.
It feels luscious without being overly sweet. It’s rich and smooth whilst still keeping those delicate and light features. There is no other way to say it, it’s just absolutely delicious and stunning! We can’t keep talking about it! On the list for our Christmas celebrations, over and over again.
Name: Clos de Nouys Vouvray Demi-Sec
Origin: Anjou-Saumur, Loire Valley, France
Grape: 100% Chenin Blanc
ABV: 14%
Notes: Ripe white stone fruits, floral notes and honeydew mist on the nose. Candied apricots, nectarines and acacia on the palate with a nice, uplifting acidity to finish. Complex, concentrated and very well balanced, medium-dry.
Where: Currently hard to find online, I managed to find 1 bottle at an independent wine shop. These guys below usually stock it online but not at this time, however, you can sign up to be notified when it is back in stock.
Clos De Nouys Vouvray Demi-Sec | Kwoff
The one from Bordeaux
This is the second week now when I can’t seem to fit in everything I want to share with you! This amazing red was the last one on our French night and really don’t want to miss it, so hopefully, you can all wait to hear about it next week. Or I might just send you an extra email this weekend, we will see.
But if you want to have a sneak peek, please see the details below. This could be a great present for any of your wine-enthusiast friends, trust me.
Chateau du Gazin Canon Fronsac 2018 | York Wines UK | Next Day Wine Delivery
The one from the other night
Cavicchioli 1928
Ok, so this sparkling wine needed a really quick mention. It is so not my style and I never thought I would enjoy it but for some strange reason, I really did!
This Spumante is made from a blend of Malvasia and Pignoletto grapes in the provinces of Emilia Romagna in Italy. A very pale straw yellow colour in the glass; an intense aroma of candied fruits and sweet flowers and a fresh and delicate taste with an aromatic finish. It had a very strange resemblance to Sprite… but still, it brought me unexpected joy when I tried it. And only 11% alcohol wasn’t too bad either( some of them go as low as 8%! )
So if you ever want a quick, joyful glass of sparkling wine and manage to find it in a shop ( should be less than £10 ) don’t hesitate to pick one up.
Next time…
Wine tasting session favourites, what’s in Aldi, the amazing dinner with Chef and the one I couldn’t fit in, again!
Have a grape weekend!
The 4pm Club