The more I drink Loire reds and whites, the more I want to soak in everything this wonderful place has to offer.
Huet, Vouvray, Le Haut-Lieu, Demi Sec, 2009
This is superb, with an almost outlandishly (and unexpectedly, I might add) funky nose that is equally toasty and mineral-laden, appropriately backed up by deep, pure apricot fruit. Good traits all, echoed on palate. I know the stuff can age, but this is so great right now, I think the only reason to wait is for further complexity to develop on the palate to match that already in place in the aromatics. (Sept. 27, 2014)
Giaconda, 170 NIS, a great value.
Michel Redde, Pouilly-Fumé , Les Champs des Billon, 2011
Every time I drink a Redde, I think, "wow, who would've thought Sauvignon Blanc could be so good!" This is still the most backward of the Redde wines imported to Israel, but there is already a lot of limey, smoky, rocky depth and a saline finish, that, if you have any love at all for classic French wines, will bewitch you within a few minutes. Any well made wine can keep, that is stay alive, for a few years, the question is will time actually evolve it? With Redde in general, and this wine specifically, I think there are stories waiting to be told. (Oct. 10, 2014)
Fat Guy, 259 NIS.
Yannic Amirault, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Le Mine, 2009
Yes! I finally located this misplaced bottle, this misplaced lovely bottle. Oh, it is a lovely drop indeed, and how highly you rate it will depend on how much you actually prize drinkability and taste, as opposed to, uh, all the other things tasters score wines for. With decently complex scents and flavors, raspberries laced laced with rust and tobacco leaves, this feels, amazingly enough (this being the entry level Saint-Nicolas in the Amirault portfolio), as though it needs more time. (Oct. 16, 2014)
About 20 GBP.
Chateau du Hureau, Saumur-Champigny, Fours a Chaux, 2010
Classic. An appetizing nose with black fruit, violets and lead pencil. The palate is fruity, soft and friendly yet chewy and savory. I really should have bought more, as it is delightfully fresh and a great value, drinking well now with an upside of a few years. (Oct. 20, 2014)
Fat Guy, 140 NIS.
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