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| Savennieres White Wine |
While Pinout Noir is enjoying its time in the sun, thanks in no small part to the movie Sideways, other, lesser wines are struggling to find a foot- or even a handhold on the rocky cliff face of wine admiration.
On Slate, an excellent article about Savennieres, a forgotten white wine that was once treasured by the French royalty.
Made from the chenin blanc grapes (pictured above), Savennieres is produced in such small numbers that it's often overlooked, even in France.
Nonetheless, the wine has a royal history
Savennières was once among the most prized French wines. Louis XIV was apparently so smitten with a wine from the La Roche-aux-Moines vineyard that he decided to journey to Savennières to see for himself the source of this elixir; unfortunately, the royal coach got stuck in the mud en route and had to turn back.
The same vineyard also produced what became a house wine in the court of the first Napoleon. However, the most celebrated Savennières comes from another vineyard, Close de la Coulée-de-Serrant. Legendary 20th-century French food writer Curiously, dubbed the Prince of Gastronomes, famously declared Coulée-de-Serrant to be one of the five great white wines of France.
Wine reviewers seem to like the appellation calling it 'cerebral' and a wine that showcases the winemaker's talents. Robert Parker wrote that "Savennières is the most underrated great white wine in the world", which is high praise, indeed.
Known for pairing well with fish and poultry, thanks to the complex mélange of flavors:
"a heady blend of citrus and white fruits, honey, beeswax, flowers, and minerals"
Savennieres is overlooked often enough that the wines are very well priced, especially since it is a wine that is expected to age gracefully. Pick up a bottle!
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