Wine School, White Burgundies and Chardonnay, January 30, 2012

Wines

Perraud Macon-Villages White  2011

Color:  Pale, straw yellow

Nose:  Hints of lemon, lime zest, herbs, and wet stones.

Mouth:  Very crisp, light wine with nice minerality on a lingering finish with a hint of salt.
Price: $16.99

Conclusion: Enjoyed by all. Light, refreshing, would love to enjoy with a light meal sitting outside. 

Pairings

Cheese

• Havarti Cheese with Dill-went well with the herbs of the wine.
• Barber's 1833English Vintage Cheddar-not a match.
• Gruyere Cheese Roth Grand Cru-really enhanced the finish, made the cheese more vibrant.

Popcorn-just ok-now wow factor.
Crab Cakes-very good.
Smoked Salmon-just ok.
California Pizza Kitchen White Pizza-nice match.
Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk Sea Salt Escape-wonderful, definitely recommend.

Domaine J.M. Boillot Bourgogne 2011

 

Color:  Straw yellow                                                                                                                                   

Nose:  Creamy oak with a bit of nuttiness and a hint of citrus.

Mouth:  Wonderfully balanced wine, refreshing with a bit of creaminess and nice mineral finish.

Price: $22.99

Conclusion:  Overall this was another hit with the winos, a bit more full bodied than the first wine. It paired wonderfully with the crab cakes, Havarti Dill Cheese, and the White Pizza.

Pairings

Cheese

• Havarti Cheese with Dill-wonderful!
• Barber's 1833English Vintage Cheddar-brought out the oakiness of the wine in a nice way.
• Gruyere Cheese Roth Grand Cru-it enhanced the fruit of the wine, but didn't work with the finish.

Popcorn-Fantastic
Crab Cakes-very good!
Smoked Salmon-better than first wine, but nothing special.
California Pizza Kitchen White Pizza-very nice pairing.
Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk Sea Salt Escape-didn't work.

Gundlach-Bundschu Chardonnay 2010
 

Color: Straw yellow

Nose:  Very earthy in an unappealing manner, very musty.

Mouth:  The musty earthiness was present on the mouth too. It overpowered the fruit.

Price:  $20.99

Conclusion:  We feel that this wine was compromised in some way. It definitely had an old, mustiness on both the nose and mouth. It is our opinion that the wine was "corked". A wine is corked when a faulty cork, tainted with chemicals, leech into the wine. These trace chemicals aren't dangerous, but cause the odor that overwhelms the fruit of the wine. A disappointment, but it is estimated that 3-5% of all wines are "corked".

Final Thoughts:

Beth -  I was excited to compare the two French Burgundies to a U.S. Chardonnay, so I was disappointed when the U.S. wine was corked, but I think we still were able to get a sense of how the style of the French wines differ from U.S. Chardonnay. I enjoyed both of the French wines, and find it hard to pick a favorite. I loved the Perraud with the Ghiradelli Gourmet Milk Sea Salt Escape, but I found the Domaine Boillot best overall with our food pairings.

Lisa - This class was a great way to compare Chardonnays from very different soils-France and America.  I was looking forward to tasting the differences, however, agreed that the American was not up to par.  I'm sure we'll give it a try another time!  I think I had to favor the Domaine J.M. Bouillot over the other French wine (althought they were both delicious).  I preferred the cheeses with this one but who can resist the white pizza!

Mary Jo-This class was very interesting and I felt like I came away with so much new information!  As we know, the Winos like their reds, but the two French Burgundies were really wonderful!  Unfortunately, as Beth indicated, the U.S. Chardonnay we planned to compare the Burgundies to was corked.  However, it did provide us with a good lesson on what corked wine smells and tastes like!  I felt the Gruyere enhanced the finish of the Perraud and the Havarti with dill great with both the Perraud and the Domaine Boillot.  The English cheddar brought out the oakiness and creaminess of the Domaine Boillot.  As far as the chocolate, it was great with the Perraud.