Article du 25 janvier 2019

« This exceptional French white wine tastes rich but costs just $15

*** Exceptional
** Excellent
*Very Good
by Dave McIntyre

A few weeks ago, I wrote about two wines made with the pinot gris grape in the Italian « grigio » style – racy, refreshing and light. This week’s « greatest value » is a pinot gris from Réthoré Davy in the Loire Valley, a region not known for the grape. It shows a richer style more familiar from Alsace, with the coppery color from extended skin contact (the gris in pinot gris is a dusky purple, much darker than other white grapes) and a rich mouthfeel that calls for substantial foods.

Great Value
Réthoré Davy Chapitre Pinot Gris 2017

***
Loire Valley France, $15

Here is a rich version of pinot gris. It’s not the crisp, refreshing version the grape gets as pinot grigio. This is full-bodied, rich and complex, with flavors of baked apples, poached pears and baking spices. Not that it’s sweet – just rich because of skin contact in fermentation in a « natural » style. This is a white wine suitable to pair with winter braises and stews, as well as seafood. ABV : 12.5 percent.

Imported and distributed by Simon N Cellars. »