Don’t Judge Me Mondays: Marcel Dubois 2016 Vouvray
As you know, I really enjoyed the wine class I took a few weeks ago at The Pantry. I learned a lot and the instructor gave us tons of information to take with us. One of the things I was most excited about was a list of types of wine we might like based on what we already enjoy. It recommended Chenin Blanc if you already like Riesling, which I do. I took the class with my friend Betsy, so we recently got together and did a tasting of our own. She brought a red blend and I brought an inexpensive Chenin Blanc. Sure enough, we both enjoyed our choices!
One thing that originally confused me was that Chenin Blanc and Vouvray seemed to be used interchangeably. Digging into it, I found that’s because Vouvray is the region of the Loire Valley in France where this wine is made. Chenin Blanc is the type of grape. From what I’ve seen at the store Vouvray seems to be more the commonly used term. I’m sure if you ask for a Chenin Blanc or Vouvray at your local wine shop or restaurant, someone will know what you mean. 😉
I thought it would be fun to walk you through the steps I take like in the class to evaluate this wine. Let’s get to it!
Appearance
The wine is very light, which isn’t surprising since this is a young wine (2016). When I swirl it in the glass I see there aren’t many legs and it flows down quickly. This means it’s lower in alcohol. The bottle states it’s 11.5%.
Smell
The first whiff of this wine I got apple. After a few more sniffs, I could smell honey and white flowers (maybe honeysuckle?). It also had a crisp scent if that makes sense. Not astringent or anything, just clean.
Flavor
After several swirls, gurgles and sips, the primary flavors I tasted were grapefruit, honey, and apple. I really enjoy this wine because it’s not too sweet but also not too dry. I typically don’t like Chardonnays because they’re usually too dry for my palate. This one was pleasant and easy to drink. It’s light so it’s perfect to drink on its own. Our instructor would call it a “porch pounder” meaning it would be easy to drink in warm weather. I also think it’s really nice for this time of year because we all tend to overindulge in rich foods and this crisp wine cuts through some of that.
I think this would pair well with a salad dressed with an acidic vinaigrette, a creamy pasta or baked salmon.
This particular wine was $12, but I saw several others similarly priced. I definitely recommend giving it a try!
If you’ve tried Vouvray/Chenin Blanc, do you have a favorite vineyard?