Sommelier’s Recommendation

Text Box: France - Bordeaux and Other Regions

2011 Château Les Tuileries Bordeaux Blanc Entre deux Mers
PHP 1,100
Classic white wine of Bordeaux region, blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, nice fruits and flowers on the nose, crisp acidity to refresh the palate after every sip, a wonderfully useful wine to enjoy practically any time of the day, lunch, dinner and in between.

1999 Château La Louviere, Pessac-Leognan, Graves
PHP 3,900
Located fourteen kilometers south of the city of Bordeaux, in the heart of the Pessac-Leognan appellation, Chateau La Louviere’s history goes back seven centuries. Records show that wine was already made there in 1310. Andre Lurton became the owner of La Louviere in 1965 and has worked tirelessly to restore the estate’s former splendor. The white wine, a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, is dry, delicately vigorous and rich, possessing great aromatic complexity combining oak aromas and intense fruit flavors. It is a perfect example of the great dry white wines of Pessac-Leognan in the Graves.

1996 Château Couhins-Lurton, Grand Cru Classé, Pessac-Leognan, Graves
PHP 3,900
In 1992, André Lurton purchased the château, the cellars, the outbuildings and the beautiful grounds from Monsieur and Madame Conte, thereby completing the creation of Château Couhins Lurton. The characteristic of Château Couhins-Lurton white wines, Cru Classé de Graves, is to be made from Sauvignon only. Very elegant, they reveal fruity and fresh when they are young and gain in mineral complexity after a few years in bottle. They age very well.

1995 Château Coucheroy, Pessac-Leognan, Graves
PHP 3,300
"Couchiroy"or "Couche Roi" in Gascon. According to legend, one stormy evening, King Henri IV, returning from the Battle of Coutras, stopped here for a rest. He would surely have appreciated this fresh, easy-to-drink wine and enjoyed its astonishing tropical fruit aromas. A true wine fit for a king, perhaps? The wine is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc, cool-temperature fermentation (18-23C) and no malolactic secondary fermentation, under the watchful consultancy of the famous Denis DUBOURDIEU.

1994 Château Chasse Spleen Blanc, Moulis, Bordeaux
PHP 4,500
The modern era for Chateau Chasse Spleen starts in 1976 when the estate was bought by the Merlaut family, eventual owners of various Bordeaux wine Chateaux including Gruaud Larose, Ferriere, Citran and Haut-Bages-Liberal. A small 2 hectare portion is planted to Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, for the production of a tiny amount of white Bordeaux wine with a blend breakdown of roughly 2/3 Semillon and 1/3 sauvignon blanc, a wine to enjoy as a pre-dinner aperitif or with crab, seafood, white fish and poultry.

1993 Château Domaine de Chevalier, Grand Cru Classé, Graves
PHP 4,500
The owners of Domaine de Chevalier, the Bernard family, have a long history dating all the way back to the 1155. The Pessac Leognan vineyard of Domaine de Chevalier is located in a deep layer of gravel and sand. For the white Bordeaux wine, 7 hectares are planted to 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon, a vine density of 6,600 vines per hectare. On average, the vines are 30 years of age. Blending takes place fairly early (late December/early January) after spending 18 months in oak barrels.

1990 Château Couhins-Lurton, Grand Cru Classé, Pessac-Leognan, Graves
PHP 3,900
In 1992, André Lurton purchased the château, the cellars, the outbuildings and the beautiful grounds from Monsieur and Madame Conte, thereby completing the creation of Château Couhins Lurton. The characteristic of Château Couhins-Lurton white wines, Cru Classé de Graves, is to be made from Sauvignon only. Very elegant, they reveal fruity and fresh when they are young and gain in mineral complexity after a few years in bottle. They age very well.

1990 Château Olivier Blanc, Grand Cru Classé, Graves
PHP 3,500
Olivier is one of seven Pessac-Léognan Châteaux to enjoy the rank of Grand Cru Classé for both red and white wines. Its wines are lauded for their longevity, a reputation reaffirmed often by tasting of older vintages dating back to the early 20th century. Skillful blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc resulted in a smooth, rich, robust white wine that is both enjoyable on its own or with variety of seafood and white meat.

1989 Château Olivier Blanc, Grand Cru Classé, Graves
PHP 3,500
Olivier is one of seven Pessac-Léognan Châteaux to enjoy the rank of Grand Cru Classé for both red and white wines. Its wines are lauded for their longevity, a reputation reaffirmed often by tasting of older vintages dating back to the early 20th century. Skillful blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc resulted in a smooth, rich, robust white wine that is both enjoyable on its own or with variety of seafood and white meat.

1989 Château Malartic Lagraviere, Grand Cru Classé, Graves
PHP 4,900
The blend is 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon. The vines are planted at a density of 10,000 vines per hectare. At Chateau Malartic Lagraviere, they practice organic farming techniques. The white wine of Malartic Lagraviere is vinified in barrel and aged in 30 to 40% new, French oak barrels without contact with the skins for an average of 12 months. Annual production of this excellent white wine is a mere 2000 cases.

1983 Château Carbonnieux, Grand Cru Classé, Graves
PHP 4,500
Medium Intensity nose, developing, floral, citrus fruits, honey notes. On the palate, the wine is medium Bodied, dry, medium-high acidity, moderate intensity, medium finish, stone fruits, herbaceous, almond. Popular food accompaniments include rich fish and poultry recipes, salmon and goat cheese-topped pasta or grilled chicken.

1979 Château Domaine de Chevalier, Grand Cru Classé, Graves
PHP 7,500
The owners of Domaine de Chevalier, the Bernard family, have a long history dating all the way back to the 1155. The Pessac Leognan vineyard of Domaine de Chevalier is located in a deep layer of gravel and sand. For the white Bordeaux wine, 7 hectares are planted to 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon, a vine density of 6,600 vines per hectare. On average, the vines are 30 years of age. Blending takes place fairly early (late December/early January) after spending 18 months in oak barrels.

2007 Sancerre, Dom. De Saint Romble, Loire
PHP 2,700
Here, and across the Loire in the Pouilly-Fumé region, many of the greatest sauvignon blanc wines in the world are made. Sancerre — the place — produces much more wine than Pouilly-Fumé. It is the place that gives these wines their distinctive beauty, and it is the place that makes them Sancerre and not merely sauvignon blanc. The wine is a pure expression of Sauvignon Blanc; aromas of white flowers, dry and crisp, gripping, tense, a favorite selection for shellfish and salads.

2012 Sancerre, Ch. De Sancerre, Marnier-Lapostolle, Loire
PHP 2,900
Château de Sancerre is owned and run by Marnier-Lapostolle, the owners of Grand Marnier. Wines from the Sancerre hillock were initially cultivated by the Romans in the first century AD and produced wines favored by Kings of France. Herbaceous, perfumed, chalky, leafy, bell peppers and citrus aromas leap out of the glass before one is enveloped by bracing acidity, concentrated green fruits and a racing, tangy finish.

1999 Sancerre Domaine de la Villaudiere, Jean-Marie Reverdy, Loire
PHP 2,700
Jean-Marie REVERDY has followed his calling and manages a flourishing Domaine de la VILLAUDIERE with his wife, Catherine and their son, Guillaume. The youngest son, Baptiste also shares a love of wine growing and winemaking. The wines from Sancerre are fresh, light and generous, featuring mineralogy and elegance.

1999 Sancerre Domaine Michel Girard et Fils, Loire
PHP 2,700
"The wine shows pure Sauvignon style – fragrant aromas of grapefruit and citrus with a waft of mineral pungency, full and round in the mouth with further fruity grapefruit and orange flavor’s but also almond nuttiness, supported by elegant zingy lees and acidity. This 100% Sauvignon-Blanc wine comes from Verdigny, the heart of goat’s cheese country, so ideal to wash down a soft tangy ‘crottin’. Also great with delicate flat white fish, capers or grilled peppers."

2010 Laurus La Chasse du Pape Blanc, Rhône
PHP 1,700
Made from a blend comprising mainly Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Clairette and Roussanne, rich with good body and fresh food flavors lifted up with crisp acidity, decidedly a wine to enjoy with food including Escargot or white meat dishes with cream sauces, perhaps even Carbonara.

1997 Hermitage, Guigal, Rhône
PHP 5,900
Hermitage Blanc is one of the least-known yet most intriguing wines of the Rhône Valley. Composed primarily of Marsanne (95%) and small amounts of Roussanne (5%), it is relatively rare, accounting for only a small percentage of the production of the 309-acre Hermitage AOC. The wine evolves in a remarkable fashion, tasting vibrant and rich just after bottling, developing a softer, rounder character after a few years, and returning with renewed freshness and much greater complexity after 10 or 15 years in the cellar. Guigal’s small production of Hermitage Blanc is made traditionally, with two or more years of cellar aging (in both barrel and cube) before bottling. Hermitage Blanc is superb with rich seafood and is a perfect wine with cheese at the end of a meal.

2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc, Domaine Juliette Avril, Rhône
PHP 3,500
The vineyard comprises half of vines over 50 years, planted according to traditional methods, mixed varieties such as Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Roussanne etc.. vinified in an ultra-modern winery. Stainless steel tanks for winemaking, pneumatic press system and temperature control. Beautiful pale yellow color with green reflections. Fine and elegant nose. On fruity with intense aromas of white flowers (honeysuckle) and white fruit (peach, pear).
This classy white wine can be served as an aperitif or enjoyed with foie gras, truffles, tart goat cheese, fish, shellfish, seafood, tripe white meat, frog legs, escargots etc.

1997 Pouilly Fumé, 1 Millesime Bouchie, Loire
PHP 3,300
Situated just across the river from Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé is known for balanced, structured white wines. Sauvignon Blanc is also known locally as Blanc Fumé, for the grey, smoke-colored bloom that grows on the skins of Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The vines of Pouilly-Fumé are planted in mostly limestone, flint, and clay soils. Pouilly-Fumé generally requires a year to eighteen months aging in bottle, and will continue to age well after that. Fish, shellfish, and white meats are all excellent complements to the smoke and flint aromas for Pouilly-Fumé, whose structure and balance make it a good match for richer foods.

1995 Alsace, Grand Cru, Pinot Gris, Heimbourg Turckheim Domaine Zind Humbrecht, Alsace
PHP 5,500
Olivier Humbrecht (right) is one of the stars in the wine world’s firmament. As well as being one of relatively few winemakers to have achieved the MW qualification, he is also one of the champions of biodynamic. In the winery, unsurprisingly the wines are made in a hands-off way: the fermentations are slow and the wines spend at least six months on the gross lees. This is a wine with rich, slightly Smokey, honeyed nose that leads to a palate that is rich and full, with good depth. This thick textured wine shows lovely balance and is really appealing.

1995 Alsace, Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain, Grand Cru, Pinot Gris, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Alsace
PHP 7,500
So massive is the reputation of Zind-Humbrecht that it’s difficult to imagine that the domaine was created only in 1959 when Léonard Humbrecht married Geneviève Zind and the vineyards of the two families were amalgamated. This Tokay Pinot Gris from Clos Saint Urbain from Rangen de Thann, say, is strictly a special occasion wine.

1988 Condrieu, J. Y. Multier, Rhône
PHP 4,900
Condrieu is not exactly the world’s most common bottle. In fact, true Condrieu, produced in the northern part of France’s Rhone Valley, is one of the rarest bottles wine lovers will find on the market. Condrieu is a full-bodied white wine with a rich texture, not unlike a Chardonnay. It hails from the growing region of the same name, which is located in the northern part of the Rhone Valley in France. The wines made in Condrieu are exclusively white, and are made from the Viognier grape. Classic food pairing for Condrieu is seafood, such as salmon and other fatty fish or lobster and halibut, or any fish with a good creamy sauce. Other popular wine and food pairings include pork in a creamy sauce, steamed green vegetables and soft cheeses like brie.

1981 Hermitage, Le Chevalier de Sterimberg, Paul Jaboulet Aine, Rhône
PHP 5,900
The little chapel of Saint-Christophe is situated at the top of the hillside. It was built in 1235 by the knight Gaspard de Stérimberg after he gained the permission of the ‘White Queen of Castille’ to establish his hermitage on this hill after being injured during the Albigensian crusade of 1224. The Roussanne and Marsanne grapes are grown in clay-chalk and sandy, pebble soils on steep slopes, producing complex and elegant white Hermitage wines with rich and complex, aromas of ripe pears, notes of pastry, honey and caramel, delicately woody. On the palate, the wine is full and warm, blending strength, finesse and elegance. Many prefer it with a salad of langoustines, prawns or lobsters. Blend is 65% Marsanne ; 35% Roussanne.

2009 Riesling, Lèon Beyer, Alsace
PHP 2,200
Full-bodied, aromatic, fresh acidity; broad spectrum of flavors, spice and mineral notes; a hint of sweet ripe fruit; a powerful wine, good food accompaniment

1 4 月, 2014 in Sommelier Selection 2013, Wine List