• Brentwood Wine Company
http://www.brentwoodwine.com
• Getting to know Bourgueil
• Domaine de la Chanteleuserie 2000 "Cuvee Alouettes" Bourgueil
• Brentwood Wine Company - The Best Wines, Online.
• Last Week's Wine Advisor Index
• Administrivia
In a world with literally hundreds of thousands of choices in wine, it's all too easy to shun an item with a name we don't know, particularly if that name seems difficult to pronounce.
But fear of the unfamiliar and the unpronounceable can cause us to miss out on some excellent wine - and this is certainly true in the case of the wine we're examining today: Bourgueil.
Bor-gay? Bur-gee? Bur-gooey, even? It's certainly one of those French names that can prove daunting to English-speaking tongues. But persistence, and a couple of practice tries, will get you close enough to ask for it without embarrassment in the wine shop or restaurant. Break it into three syllables (or maybe two-and-a-half) as Bour-gue-il and say it "Boor-guh-y."
The rest of the story is simple enough: The wine, as most French wines are, is named for its region of origin, not the grape. In the heart of the Loire valley, not too far from the Atlantic, Bourgueil lies on the north bank of the river and Chinon on the south, in the sub-region known as Touraine.
While most of the Loire is known for white wines, Bourgueil and Chinon specialize in reds, made mostly from the Cabernet Franc grape that's locally known as Breton. (Recent regulatory changes now allow some Cabernet Sauvignon to be added to the blend, but Cabernet Franc still predominates.)
These wines represent a real change of pace for palates accustomed to hearty, inky, tooth-staining reds: They're relatively subtle and delicate - some authorities refer to them as "Beaujolais-style," although I find that misleading. They usually show mixed-berry aromas and flavors - raspberry in particular - along with marked herbal scents that often remind me of tarragon or that familiar "pencil-sharpener" aroma of fresh oregano, all backed by a snappy acidity that makes the wines sing with food.
Today's example comes from a property nearly two centuries old, whose current owner, Thierry Boucard, represents the seventh generation of his family in the business since 1822. Its light but bright flavors make it an exceptional red-wine match with chicken dishes.
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie 2000 "Cuvee Alouettes" Bourgueil ($12.99)
Dark garnet in color, with aromas of fresh red fruit and a distinct herbal impression of oregano. Bright and juicy red-berry fruit flavors over "green" herbaceous notes and fragrant black pepper, nicely structured with zippy acidity. U.S. importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Importer, Berkeley, Calif. (May 19, 2002)
FOOD MATCH: Its fresh berry and herb notes make it a natural with pan-grilled chicken breasts with mushrooms and red bell peppers over pasta.
VALUE: Thanks to its flavor, balance and fine expression of the best qualities in Loire reds, it exceeds expectations in the $13 range.
Brentwood Wine Company - The Best Wines, Online.The first continuous online wine auction website, we've been bringing the finest in rare and collectible wines to consumers and professionals since 1998. Our selection and service is unmatched, and our hammer prices and buyers premiums are some of the lowest in the industry. Discover why the world's top collectors and restaurants already buy from us.
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http://www.brentwoodwine.com/auctions/buy.html.
We look forward to your visit!
Cheers,
The Brentwood Wine Team
For Monday-only readers who'd like to read specific daily Wine Advisor articles, here's last week's index:
• Popping a Prosecco (May 17)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/tswa020517.phtml
• A secret from Spy Valley (May 16)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/tswa020516.phtml
• Two more U.S. wineries embrace screw cap (May 15)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/tswa020515.phtml
• Tasting Torrontes (May 14)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/tswa020514.phtml
• Do I ever dislike a wine? (May 13)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/tswa020513.phtml
• Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/thelist.shtml
• Last week's Wine Advisor Foodletter: Creating a dish: Smoked salmon and eggs (May 16)
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/tsfl020516.phtml
• Wine Advisor Foodletter archive:
http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvisor/foodlist.phtml
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All the wine-tasting reports posted here are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry.
Monday, May 20, 2002
Copyright 2002 by Robin Garr. All rights reserved.
