Domaine de Chevilly Quincy (2009)

If someone were to ask me which is the most interesting wine region in France, he or she might be surprised by my answer.  It is not Bordeaux.  It is not the Rhone valley.  But, it is a valley ... the Loire Valley.  My interest was first captured by a wine that I had at Bistro du Beaujolais in North Olmsted, Ohio.  The wine was Chenonceau, and it was amazing. Since that time, I have struggled to find that wine, but, as I searched through wine shops, I took interest in other wines from the Loire Valley region.

Domaine de Chevilly is a stark contrast.  The blocks are definitely French, located about ten miles west of Sancerre, France.  The winemaker, however, is Australian ... Douglas Lamb Wines.  Douglas Lamb was a former attorney and importer in Australia who studied at Cambridge, but also studied wine in France.  Douglas Lamb has passed away, but the family continues to own plots in several areas of France, including the Loire Valley where, at Domaine de Chevilly, the family devotes their winemaking exclusively to growing Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

Domaine de Chevilly is located in Quincy, which is part of Le Centre-Loire, one of the wine growing regions in the Loire Valley. "Le Centre" is what it means, the exact center of France, where grapes have grown for more than 2,000 years.  In this region, Sauvignon Blanc grapes, like the grapes grown at Domaine de Chevilly are "roi" or king.

The Quincy pours a light gold, reminiscent of grapefruit juice, which provides a not-to-subtle of what is to come.  Both the aroma and taste of the Quincy prominently feature citrus fruits, including grapefruit.  The aromatic elements include a little white pepper and some floral scents.  The taste is definitely full of grapefruit.  The wine is crisp, refreshing and definitely dry.

Wines that are dry and full of citrus fruit go very well with fish, like the Poisson en Papillote.  This wine also pairs well with other seafood, such as crab and lobster, as well as white meat like chicken.  Sauvignon Blanc wines can also be paired with goat and sheep cheeses.

This wine sells for about $16.99 a bottle at Whole Foods and may be available at other wine stores.

ENJOY!