French white wine values tasted in 2009

The selected French bottlings have given me much pleasure for the price. I have purchased them again for personal consumption. Featured values include 7 Loire wines.

A smaller best-buy page is available which shows only wines imported into the USA.
 

The below wines were tasted in France, in 2009 (between April and December).The tasting notes are listed by increasing prices, with the following format:

Appellation - producer - plot or brand - variety
Vintage - approximate price - general impression - on nose - on palate - after swallowing
 

 Vin de pays d'Oc - Domaine des Lièvres - Chardonnay

2008 - 2.7 € - not interesting but technically well made, little aromas (a note of grapefruit) - the nose is weak - the palate shows a hint of residual sugar but remains fresh

 Alsace - Schaetzel - Edelzwicker 100 cl

2006 - 4 € -

 Muscadet - Marc Ollivier - Domaine de la Pépière - Domaine de la Pépière

2008 - 4.7 € - apple skin, minerally - lichee, fruitgrape, starfruit, not dense, fresh

 Muscadet de sèvre et maine sur lie - A.Michel Brégeon

2007 - 4.8 € - not onctuous, watermelon, intense like the 2007 Briords, lively

 Muscadet - Marc Ollivier - Domaine de la Pépière - Les gras moutons

2008 - 6.6 € - full maturity of grapes - lichee - lichee, not onctuous but round, vibrant and fresh

 Muscadet - Marc Ollivier - Domaine de la Pépière - Clos des Briords - Cuvée Vieilles Vignes

2007 - 6.6 € - you should keep and age this wine - closed and then even more vibrant than the 2007 Brégeon, dry, minerally and fresh

 Côtes de provence - Domaine Turenne - Cuvée Antoine

2008 - 7 € - onctuous, dense, fruit, much alcohol, fresh

 Côtes de provence - Domaine du Cagueloup - Cuvée Minette - [50% clairette, 50% ugni blanc]

2008 - 7.3 € - flower, honey, starfruit - onctuous from alcohol but not from residual sugar, nectarine, apricot, pear, finger biscuit, fresh - starfruit

 Table - Sylvain Saux - Pechigo - La Mothe

2008 - 7.5 € - finger biscuit, nougat - finger biscuit, nougat, wide but dry, fresh

 Vouvray - François Pinon - Tradition [demi-sec]

2006 - 8 € - no manipulation - fruit (citrus) - onctuous, with fruit (honeydew melon, peach, fruit of the loom), a hint of chalk, soft (demi-sec), pure, fresh

 Vouvray - François Pinon - Silex Noir [demi-sec]

2007 - 9 € - pear or peach - onctuous, intense, pear or peach, less soft than the 2006 Tradition, fresh and even more lively than Les Trois Argiles

 Vouvray - François Pinon - Les Trois Argiles [demi-sec]

2007 - 9 € - similar to Silex Noir but much more mineral - fruit of the loom, a note of white fruit, a hint of chalk - onctuous, fruit of the loom, a hint of chalk, soft (demi-sec), less intense than Silex Noir, with more body, fresh but no as vivid

Quarterly additions

New tasting reports are put on-line every June, September and December. You will be emailed at the date of issue if you subscribe to the newsletter. (There currently are 1219 subscribers.)