Wine of the Week!

Joseph Drouhin 2004 Chablis Premier Cru   $20               

The Chardonnay from France’s Chablis area are unique.  That’s a great intro to real Chablis:  Joseph Drouhin 2004 Chablis Premier Cru.

Chablis is about as chilly a place there is to grow chardonnay.  Add in the rocky soils and you get wines that have crispy flavors along with a minerally quality typically described as flinty. 

The Drouhin tastes like a crunchy apple but with a roundness to it that adds fullness to the tartness and makes it a natural compliment to most fish and seafood… particularly shellfish.

It’s called Premier Cru because the grapes all come from rated vineyards which have lower yields and historically higher quality fruit.  There’s virtually no oakiness but it still has the body of classic Chardonnay. 

Priced around twenty dollars a bottle, it’s higher that an average “village” Chablis but it’s the way to taste a premier cru offering which, most of the time are usually even more costly. 

Joseph Drouhin 2004 Chablis Premier Cru is our wine of the week. 

Pop the Cork™.

Winemaker’s notes and comments:

This Chablis Premier Cru has very attractive and intense aromas reminiscent of coriander, orange, lemon and many other intriguing flavors. Generous, round and long on the palate, it is also full bodied with refreshing vivacity.

Chablis is still a difficult region for the wine-maker. The climate is continental, hot in summer and cold in winter. Frosts are frequent. In spite of all these hardships, Robert DROUHIN is adamant to keep the yields in his vineyards as low as possible by pruning very short. 

At harvest time, the grapes are pressed at Joseph DROUHIN's own winery in Chablis. The juice is then brought to the cellars in Beaune. The plain Chablis ferments in stainless steel tanks under controlled temperature. After 7 to 8 months of ageing, the wine is bottled. 

The color of Chablis is pale straw with green tinges. There is a fruity and fragrant nose, reminiscent of mint leaves and, at times, lemongrass. It is generally medium to full bodied with a characteristic flinty aftertaste. 

Chablis usually ages 5 to 8 years. It is excellent served as an aperitif or with seafood, such as oysters, sea shells (of course !) and fish.

Wine on the Radio - January 26, 2007  

Notes on our Wines of the Week, Recommendations, and Picks:

When you read our thoughts, please remember that you may think differently.  A particular wine may be your favorite and not on our list.  Well, don't stop buying it because of that.  In fact, you may want to email us and let us know about it. These are our opinions but our FIRST recommendation is to go by your own palate.

A couple of other thoughts . . . first, prices are approximate.  They'll vary.  Second, different vintages mean different grapes and different tastes so our recommendation for a 2000 Merlot may not hold for 2001.

And lastly, we remind you to drink responsibly!  Now, all that said, here is a summary of  links to our suggestions.  Find one (or more) and pop the cork!

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