Weekend Wine... Garreliere Sauvignon Blanc
July 23, 2010 at 1:00 pm by Jay
Domaine Garreliere
Sauvignon Blanc "Le Blanc" 2009
Touraine, France
$16.99 (15.29 today & tomorrow)
Respite from the inferno. Garreliere’s Blanc (and
actually their Rouge) eases me into a happier, cooler and calmer place.
Le Blanc hits the right citrus notes, nothing too aggressive or edgy.
The wine conveys ripeness. It makes me want ceviche. It points out the
good things about summer, and pairs well with the season’s best
produce. Definitely good with tomato and cucumber salad. More surprising
is how at home Garreliere feels in my left hand when I’m eating a
perfect peach with my right. A lesser Sauvignon would be too thin for
fruit this ripe.
The Family... Pascale and François Plouzeau started returning this land to productive viticulture in the early 1970s. As Francois is the son of an important Chinon-based negociant, his choice to farm biodynamically in a considerably less prestigious area of southern Touraine was a mark of courage and principle. Today he works 50 acres of vines, and is considered a rising star in the appellation.
The Land... Domaine de la Garrelière is in a region of mixed-use agriculture. Grains and melons are as common as grapes near Richelieu, on the banks of the Vienne in southern Touraine. Plouzeau’s estate has a history of serious grape cultivation: in the 17th Century the famous Cardinal’s court enjoyed fruit from these fields. At that time, Domaine de la Garrelière was considerably larger, nearly 150 acres. The arrival of phylloxera brought about the demise of viticulture at Garrelière for over 70 years.
The Wine... Most of Domaine de la Garrelière’s fruit is grown on south-facing hillsides. Plouzeau harvests in October to ensure proper ripeness in his Sauvignon. His yields are low, 40 to 45 hectoliters per hectare in a region where 60hl/ha is the norm. The wine has mineral character extracted from the land’s rocky clay, limestone, and flint-rich soils. François avoids many of the pitfalls of modern technology-driven winemaking. “My nose is my guide,” he writes. A very sensible approach.
Free Saturday Wine Tasting (1-3pm)... #1 Garreliere Le Blanc $16.99 #2 Garreliere Le Rouge $16.99 #3 Garreliere Cendrillon $21.99
The Family... Pascale and François Plouzeau started returning this land to productive viticulture in the early 1970s. As Francois is the son of an important Chinon-based negociant, his choice to farm biodynamically in a considerably less prestigious area of southern Touraine was a mark of courage and principle. Today he works 50 acres of vines, and is considered a rising star in the appellation.
The Land... Domaine de la Garrelière is in a region of mixed-use agriculture. Grains and melons are as common as grapes near Richelieu, on the banks of the Vienne in southern Touraine. Plouzeau’s estate has a history of serious grape cultivation: in the 17th Century the famous Cardinal’s court enjoyed fruit from these fields. At that time, Domaine de la Garrelière was considerably larger, nearly 150 acres. The arrival of phylloxera brought about the demise of viticulture at Garrelière for over 70 years.
The Wine... Most of Domaine de la Garrelière’s fruit is grown on south-facing hillsides. Plouzeau harvests in October to ensure proper ripeness in his Sauvignon. His yields are low, 40 to 45 hectoliters per hectare in a region where 60hl/ha is the norm. The wine has mineral character extracted from the land’s rocky clay, limestone, and flint-rich soils. François avoids many of the pitfalls of modern technology-driven winemaking. “My nose is my guide,” he writes. A very sensible approach.
Free Saturday Wine Tasting (1-3pm)... #1 Garreliere Le Blanc $16.99 #2 Garreliere Le Rouge $16.99 #3 Garreliere Cendrillon $21.99