WTN: Herzog Selection Chateneuf 2010

[Pinchas L]

At a wedding and as an accompaniment to an appetizer consisting of an egg roll and half of a grilled baby eggplant stuffed with vegetables, I had the only wine available at the table, the Herzog Selection Chateneuf Bordeaux white blend. The wine was surprisingly good, exhibiting nice bright citrus fruit over a flowerbed of gardenias, carrying some decent weight and a texture that grabbed my attention. Although it is labeled as semi sweet, to me it was more like off dry, with the residual sugar very much in check. Overall, it was very food friendly. It retails for approximately $13, and it that price I don't know of any better kosher wines. I recall the label listing Semillon and Sauvingon Blanc making up the blend, but on the web I've seen sites mentioning Muscadet as a component. Either way, the wine is legitimately a white Bordeaux.

Now for the caveat emptor, this label is inconsistent from vintage to vintage. My recollection of this label was of a semi sweet wine bordering on the sweet, qualifying as a quaffer when well chilled, and clashing with just about any food pairing. Thus, my surprise when this vintage turned out to be very different in style, and much better, showcasing the Semillon's character, rather than being the simple quaffer of prior vintages that were reminiscent of the Herzog Californian White Zinfandel.

On another note, labeling a Bordeaux white blend as a Chateneuf, and that, too, with an unorthodox spelling to boot, is odd.

Best,
-> Pinchas

[Andrew Breskin]

This has always been a good value and a favorite. I agree that the nomenclature is bizarre but I don't think that anyone ever anticipated any confusion with Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC. Another wine near-homonym is the Burgundy "Chateau de La Tour" which is a near ringer for the iconic Pauillac First Growth Bordeaux "Chateau Latour." There must be a lot of towers in wine country.

[Steven B]

This is also a great gift if your not sure whether your host appreciates wines or not. I have often seen it enjoyed by people who are typically not wine drinkers and it can be used to steer people away from what Yossie Horwitz refers to as "the blue-bottled abomination".

[Mike BG]

On another note, labeling a Bordeaux white blend as a Chateneuf, and that, too, with an unorthodox spelling to boot, is odd.

I think this is done so the 'frum' crowd think it is something really special.

Personally we treat it as a bit of a sad joke. Never seen on our table!