Here I am, still going strong with my French wine kick. A heads up, this is going to be one of my first critical reviews, but it’s all in good spirit I assure you….
I feel like I need to give some back story. When I was I bought this wine I had a specific flavor profile in mind. I wanted something with a soft mouthfeel, something oaked (but not oaky) that would lessen the severity of any potentially dominating fruit flavors. I guess I wanted Chardonnay and Sauv Blanc to have a baby. I had a few different varietals in mind, but apparently they were too obscure for my local shop. Very sad. Now, I kind of knew when I picked up the 2015 Bordeaux Blanc from Ducasse that this wine wouldn’t quite fit the brief, but I took a chance, gave it a go, and here’s what I learned.
About the Wine: A traditional white Bordeaux is made predominantly of Semillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle grapes — which this is. the 2015 Bordeaux Blanc by Chateau Ducasse is made of 60% Semillon, 38% Sauvignon Blanc, and 5% Muscadelle. If you’ve never had straight Semillon, I highly recommend it. (For me, it seems to be quite hard to find at local shops in my area, but I’m sure if I scoured the right shop, I could find it.) It’s a beautifully soft, smooth wine with very subtle fruits — quite delicate and extremely enjoyable with or without food. So one would think that the addition of Semillon in this Bordeaux would add some of that taste and texture…
Flavor Profile: It did not. The flavor of this particular Bordeaux is Sauvignon Blanc dominant. Quite heavy on the tropical fruits both in aroma and taste. There’s a slight minerality to it, but I really do mean slight. So there’s very little to cut through the, somewhat overwhelming, pineapple-papaya-citrusy….ness.
Food Pairing: And that’s not necessarily a bad thing if that’s what you’re looking for. So make sure that a) these are the flavors you want and/or b) you have this wine with the proper meal. I highly recommend pairing this with a fresh salt-water fish or shellfish with a side of coconut rice and maybe some fresh mango. The natural salt of the seafood and the acidity in the mango will help cut through the excessive fruitiness of the wine. Something like a coconut rice will help to pull out the Semillon and add a smooth-texture relief to the palate.
More Info: I bought this bottle at my Local Whole Foods (Price: $15). Chateau Ducasse is brought to the US through Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants. You can learn more about Chateau Ducasse and purchase their wines from the Kermit Lynch Merchants website.
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