Chateau Gaudrelle Vouvray Clos le Vigneau 2010 – Sale $17.99 net

91 pts Wine Advocate

"It is amazing how good a value Vouvray has remained despite the fact that it is such a popular wine from Loire.” Robert Parker

And how! And WOW! This is some seriously good juice…

To quote our old buddy Schmitty, “I’ll pair Chenin Blanc with just about anything short of a steak.  Roast chicken?  Yep.  Spicy Thai food?  Sure!  Carnitas burrito?  Sign me up.  The truth is, I’m of the mind that Chenin really is one of the most versatile grapes out there.  It’s got that Goldilocks and the Three Bears thing going on… just enough weight, just enough acidity, just enough juiciness and minerality… in short, it’s juuuusstt right!”

So here we have 100% Chenin Blanc from its most famous home – Vouvray. Clos Le Vigneau is a single vineyard from an area known as “les Gués d'Amant” or “Lover’s Gap”. Most of the vines were planted in 1929 and are farmed by fifth generation winemaker Andre Monmousseau.  Hand harvesting ensures even ripeness and clean fruit. Combined with the excellent conditions of 2010 and…

Whammo! This baby explodes from the glass with a laser-focused beam of green apple, white flowers and melon, all kept in check by vibrant, cutting acidity. Still, there is a wonderful feel to the wine – despite its zesty acidity it has impressive weight and textural richness. Hints of toasted almonds join hands with a core of minerality to dance under the juicy stone fruit flavors. The best part is this wine will continue to improve for years to come! I’d wager 5-7 years and this baby will be offering a loaded panoply of flavors. Food pairing? Take your pick… this is a food wine like no other – you simply can’t go wrong!

Bottom line? This is a WOW! white… a don’t miss, grab-it-by the boxful, drink some and save the rest kind of wine.

It arrives at the end of next week. Please click here to order.

“The 2010 Clos Le Vigneau is 100% Chenin Blanc from a 15-acre single vineyard. Wonderfully flowery, melony fruit jumps from the glass of this naked, crisp, very clean wine, which possesses zesty acidity and plenty of minerality as well as floral notes. This is a delectable and, I suspect, super-flexible wine with an assortment of cuisines ranging from Thai and Cantonese to good old Maryland crab cakes.”