Attributes:

Thierry and Guy

Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Sauvignon Blanc

750 ML

Food Matches:

Comes mostly from California, France, New Zealand, and South Africa. Its highly acidic wines are often suggestive of herbs or grass. Light to medium bodied and usually dry, European versions are generally not oaky while California Sauvignon Blanc can take on many of the qualities of Chardonnay. France has two classic wine regions for the Sauvignon Blanc gape: Bordeaux and the Loire Valley The Bordeaux wine is called Bordeaux Blanc and the two best known of the Loire wines are called Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. In Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is sometimes blended with Sémillon.

A common name for the varied array of vineyards of southern France spreading from Marseille to the Spanish border. Languedoc-Roussillon lies on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and is Frances most valued wine region in regards to volume of wine produced. Most of the vines in the region are planted on flat alluvial plains. The climate of region is Mediterranean in all areas except for the far western limits. The main Grape of region is the Carigan with Grenache close behind it. The main white variety is the chardonnay.

Attributes:

Domaine du Mage

Cotes de Gascogne, France

Ugni Blanc

750 ML

1998: Tastings Rating: 84

clean, fresh, lively

medium body

1997: WineSpectator Rating: 84

tart

distinctive

1996: WineSpectator Rating: 85

fresh, lively

Food Matches:

Attributes:

Albert Bichot

Chablis, France

Chardonnay

750 ML

2005: WineSpectator Rating: 88

2005: WineEnthusiast Rating: 94

fresh

rich

apple, honey, mineral, spice

2004: WineSpectator Rating: 90

lively

2004: WineSpectator Rating: 88

herb, honey, mineral, stony

1998: WineSpectator Rating: 86

medium-bodied, solid

1998: WineSpectator Rating: 90

earth, mineral, ripe fruit, stony

1997: WineSpectator Rating: 94

full-bodied

elegant

butter, lemon, mineral, oak, vanilla

1997: WineSpectator Rating: 86

silky

Food Matches:

(shah blee)—this village, northwest of the Côte d’Or is the closest burgundian commune to Paris. Although Chablis’ wines are 100 percent Chardonnay, they are quite different from the white wines of the Cote d’Or. Most Chablis wines are fermented and aged in steel, and because the region’s climate is cooler, it produces wines that are lighter- bodied and more acidic. Chablis wine is very dry and sometimes flinty, without the rich, ripe style of Cote d’Or white Burgundies. Chablis is an ideal companion to seafood, especially oysters.

(shar dohn nay)—This noble grape’s reputation was established in France, particularly in the Burgundy region, and the highly prized Chardonnay wines from Chablis, Mâcon, Mersault, and Pouilly-Fuissé are imitated by winemakers around the world. Generally an oaked wine (whether from expensive oak barrels or a quick soak in oak chips), its fruity aromas and flavors range from apple in the cooler regions to tropical fruits such a pineapple in the warmer regions. It can also display subtle earthy aromas, such as mushroom or minerals. It has a medium to high acidity and is generally full-bodied. Classical Chardonnay wines are dry. Chardonnay is also an important grape in the Champagne district where it's picked before fully ripe and while it still has high acid and understated fruit flavors—the perfect combination for champagne. California has adopted this grape with a fervor and there are some 200 wineries producing Chardonnay wines in other parts of the United States. Chardonnay has also seen a tremendous planting surge in Australia, and new vineyards are being planted in Italy, Lebanon, New Zealand, Spain, and South Africa.