Clear, pale to medium-light yellow color. Clean, grassy, herbal aromatics up front. Green pepper—definitely indicative of the Cabernet Franc. Dry, medium acidity, medium body, and medium-light mousse. More green pepper and vegetal flavors balanced with some grapefruit/citrus and creamy, yeasty-read more-
Pale, clear, salmon pink with some golden tinges. Clean, grass, banana—carbonic maceration is used in Sancerre to produce rosés—tropical fruit, grapefruit, fresh, apple, pear, tangerine. Dry, medium-light body, medium acidity, pear, apple, lemon, strawberry, cherry, soft red fruit and a-read more-
Clear, medium-light, golden yellow. Clean, grass, straw, grapefruit, lime, minerality. Dry, medium to medium-plus body, medium-plus to high acidity, long finish. Lemon, tart citrus fruit, flint, herbal notes. A classic Sancerre—herbal, grassy, zingy, cat pee. Perfect pairing with chèvre. Read-read more-
Clear, pale, straw color. Clean, vanilla, honey, yeasty, biscuit, banana, grape, yellow apple, pear, bubble gum. Dry, medium-light body, medium acidity, medium-light finish. Flavors like lemonade, refreshing, citrus, lemon. These wines are excellent with oysters, and no wonder, as Muscadet-read more-
Clear, light gold color. Clean, medium intensity nose with honey, floral, apple, and pear aromas. Dry, medium body, medium-high acidity, soft citrus, green apple, and stone fruit. Vouvray is produced in four levels of sweetness: Sec, Demi-Sec, Moelleux, Doux. In-read more-
There is a solid chalky streak along a touch of brine up front, under a mild butterscotch flavor. The butterscotch gives way to lemon on the midpalate. The finish falls off quickly, but at this price point that is not-read more-
Who sets the prices for premium Bordeaux wines? Buyers and journalists do, descending on Bordeaux in early April each year to taste hundreds of the classed growths and other top-level wines in a marathon week of regional travel—by invitation. Watching-read more-
Becky Sue Epstein concludes her visit to Bordeaux, where she has been busy tasting through the 2009 vintage. (If you missed Part 1 or Part 2, be sure to check them out.) Teams of buyers and journalists descend on Bordeaux-read more-