2007 Chateau Haut-Pasquet
I have always been told that the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions of France produce the best wines in the world. Burgundy is known for both its whites and reds. Bordeaux, on the other hand, is primarily known for its red varietals. Well let me tell you. . . check out the whites, or "blancs" of Bordeaux!
The tricky part of French wines for most Americans is that the wine varietal is usually never on the label of a French wine bottle. A "white burgundy" is always going to be Chardonnay. . . but you will probably not find this information on the label. A "red burgundy" will always be Pinot Noir. . . but good luck finding those words on most labels coming from France. To get even more confusing, Bordeaux wines will contain more than one varietal in their blends. . . but again, its not always on the label. Bordeaux red wines will contain Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux white wines ("Blancs") will contain Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Whether or not the varietals are on the labels, rest assured that most Bordeaux and Burgundy wines are of, at least, good quality and most are very good to excellent. (More to come about these regions in a future blog!).
The 2007 Chateau Haut-Pasquet is a blend of, yep, you guessed it, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. And what a blend it is! (Lucky for me, this information is on the label of this bottle) This a brilliant Sauvignon Blanc with all the grassiness and citrus that you would expect both on the nose and the palate. The Semillon gives this wine a certain "mellowness" that reduces the acidity of the Sauvignon Blanc that is usually abundantly apparent. This is a great wine to go with most salads, seafood and particularly oysters. You will have to go looking at your "better" wine stores for Bordeaux Blanc, but it is worth the effort once you find them. Enjoy!
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