WTN: DePonte Melon de Bourgogne '11..(short/boring)

Tried this last night w/ my grilled radicchio:
1. DePonteCllrs D.F.B. Melon de Bourgogne DundeeHills (12.5%; 25 yr old vines; www.DePonteCellars.com) Dayton/OR 2011: Pale yellow/near colorless; fairly fragrant floral/appley/apple blossom light stony/mineral slight steely/metallic/gunflint rather pleasant nose; quite tart/tangy/lean/metallic refreshing appley/apple blossom some stony/mineral attractive flavor; med.long tangy/metallic some stony/mineral attractive floral/apple blossom/appley/mango finish; a quite pleasant white and as close to a Muscadet as you'll probably find in the USofA; not quite the lean/chalky/steely character of most Muscadet and a bit richer & textured. $30.00 (UdW)
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A wee BP:
1. Most of the PinotBlanc that was planted in Calif way back when, including up at Chalone, was subsequently found to be the Muscadet Melon de Bourgogne grape. I suspect this was planted as PinotBlanc w/ the expectation to make a Burgundy-style white. I'm not sure how much authentic PinotBlanc is now planted in Calif or OR.
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2. Chalone: Back in the early days; back when Chalone was making great wines, I always liked their PB, often more than the Chard because it typically had more acidity. It was barrel-frmtd/barrel-aged in new Fr.oak and had a ton of oak to it, but a richness & texture that carried well the oak. They aged marvelously, for as much as 20 yrs. Now, realizing that it was actually Muscadet grape, I have no right to like it as much as I did since it was an abberational usage of the melon grape.
Tom

I believe most of the Pinot Blanc, perhaps even all of it, in Oregon, is really Pinot Blanc. The advent of MdB up there is a pretty recent thing, involving the deliberate decision to plant the stuff.

I believe most of the Pinot Blanc, perhaps even all of it, in Oregon, is really Pinot Blanc. The advent of MdB up there is a pretty recent thing, involving the deliberate decision to plant the stuff.

Being as the vnyd was planted 25 yrs ago, I suspect it was originally planted as "PinotBlanc", and turned out to be Melon.
But, you're right, I think most OR PB is true PinotBlanc.
Exciting week next week...Susan gets back from 6.5 weeks in Europe (Croatia/Istria/Munich/CzechRepublic/Vienna).
BoneJolly Rose on the table. Hope you can deliver the goods, Steve!!!
Tom

Hope you can,too, Tom!

[David M. Bueker]

So Pepiere Briords is well under $20. Even if it's a richer/different expression, I have a hard time with a $30 MdB when the benchmark can be found for so much less.

So Pepiere Briords is well under $20. Even if it's a richer/different expression, I have a hard time with a $30 MdB when the benchmark can be found for so much less.

Aye, there lies the rub. Clisson can be had for under $30, as can all the other tremendous expressions of Melon coming out of the Pays Nantais. Since vignerons such as Marc Ollivier, Pierre-Maire Luneau and Jo Landron are not exactly rolling in excessive wealth, I don't feel the need to turn my back on their output.

Mark Lipton