Community Tasting Note

• mjwstickings Likes this wine: 88 points

  August 27, 2016 - It's hard to find a better value than this, a lovely, refreshing, complex, food-friendly white for less than $15 (in Canada). It's from the rarely seen Cotes de Gascogne, and it's a blend of Sauvignon Blanc with two lesser known (if regionally distinct) varietals, Ugni Blanc and Colombard, and that must explain the value, but good is good. And this is, with SB aromas of passion fruit, guava, and freshly cut grass complemented by pear, nectarine, lemon, and white pepper, nicely replayed on the palate (until, with time, the fruit recedes and is replaced by an overriding nuttiness). With some substantial spritziness and plenty of acidic tartness, it's certainly palate-cleansing, yet it also has a lush mouthfeel, suggesting depth, and there's nice length with a bit of bitterness lurking on the dry finish. This isn't anything profound, to be sure, and it needs to be drunk well-chilled and right away, but it's proof that there's not just great value but also immense quality well off the beaten track.

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6 Comments

• macaujames commented:

  11/13/16, 1:13 AM - The Tariquet is a wonderful QPR of a wine with great verve and juiciness.
  I visited the domaine a few years ago and it was an enormous place but had a great reception there and got to taste their wine range and the armagnacs.

• mjwstickings commented:

  11/13/16, 6:17 PM - Sounds great. It's really nice value, and I was certainly impressed overall. Interesting blend of grapes, making for a very easygoing and refreshing but also admirably complex white. And I really like going of the beaten path -- it's not like Gascogne is a world-renowned region for wine.

• macaujames commented:

  11/13/16, 10:52 PM - I am the same. U can get more interesting wine often off the beaten path at great prices.

• mjwstickings commented:

  11/14/16, 1:04 PM - And as far as whites go, perhaps the ultimate case in point for me are the wines made from local grapes in Campania, Italy. Superb values, because they just don't have international commercial appeal -- i.e., because they're not Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay.

• macaujames commented:

  11/14/16, 9:10 PM - I must try some! I will come back to you. Any recommended producers?

• mjwstickings commented:

  11/15/16, 7:25 AM - Sure. I'd look for Terredora di Paolo, Donnachiara, or Mastroberardino. They're three of the leading lights in Campania and focus on ancient indigenous varietals like Falanghina, Greco (di Tufo), and Fiano. Prices range, but there's really good stuff in the $20 range (Canadian), so you can start around there. (I haven't had any of the more expensive wines from the region, so I'm not sure if there's a significant quality difference at two or three times the price.) I just love how uncommercial these are. They're throwbacks to an earlier time, before popular whites had to be so oaky and fruity. Needless to say, they go really well with seafood. They're no aromatically strong, but I like the energy, the sharp acids, the citrus, the off-setting savoury, nutty notes. Well worth a detour.

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