The Cellar: 2 Great Wines for Entertaining
Saturday, May 05, 2012
2010 Eugene Blanc, Mâcon-Villages, France
This week’ first wine is an extremely rare find. Why, do you ask? Because it's a good Chardonnay from France’s Burgundy wine region that is widely available and for under $15. That’s why! More specifically, this wine is
Mâcon-Villages is located in the southern part of Burgundy. This sub-region, which covers more than 6,000 acres of vineyards, includes 43 villages. One of the biggest co-operatives in this region is Cave de Lugny, which makes wine under its own label as well as sells portions of it to Negociates like Eugene Blanc. Voted the best white Burgundy for under £10 ($16) by Decanter Magazine, this 2010 Mâcon-Villages is crisp and clean with apple and citrus fruits, minerality and only subtle hints of oak on the finish.
2009 Viñalba Reserva, Malbec – Cabernet Franc, Mendoza, Argentina
This week’s second wine is a red blend from famed Argentinean producer Viñalba whose winemaker, the French-born Hervé J. Fabre, makes wines that are both delicious and affordable. Hervé especially likes to
The 2009 Viñalba Reserva is a blend of 80% Malbec and 20% Cabernet Franc with 60% of the blend having been aged for 12 months in French oak. In making this wine, Hervé has taken the rich fruit forwardness and spiciness of Argentinean Malbec and blended it with the savory flavors of Cabernet Franc. The result is a flavorful full-bodied wine that I think a lot of you will like - displaying sweet dark fruit flavors and spice, as well as hints of vanilla from the oak. Savor it by itself or pair it with something off the grill.
Enjoy!
Steffen Rasch CSW is ready to answer any wine-related questions, comments or concerns you may have. Feel free to email him at [email protected].
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