Need a WHITE TO IMPRESS? This classic M&S Burgundy is the answer, writes MARY DOWEY, who recommends the DOMAINE CEDRIC Chêne Mâcon La Roche Vineuse 2014
No matter how loudly wine writers may shout about Riesling, Pinot Gris, Roussanne, Semillon or a dozen other wines made from under-appreciated grape varieties, I doubt if Burgundy has lost lost an ounce of its reputation as the favourite posh white of serious wine buffs.
Mind you, even if they are all made from the Chardonnay grape, there are so many different styles of white Burgundy that it’s easy for the King of Whites to appeal to a wide cross-section of tastes. To mention just a few of the best known, Chablis is crisp, even steely; Meursault opulent and buttery; Puligny-Montrachet complex and majestic. But some of the most appealing, easygoing wines (like this one) come from further south in the Mâconnais where sunnier weather produces riper grapes with softer flavours.
La Roche Vineuse is one of a small handful of villages so recognised for the quality of their wines that producers have the right to append the village name to Mâcon on their labels. So this M&S discovery has the right southern Burgundy credentials. Better still, it tastes terrific, with strikingly pure, classic Mâcon flavours of Golden Delicious apples and yellow peaches spun into a smooth, slightly creamy body with just enough bite to keep it lively. The palate length (how long the taste lingers in the mouth – one test of a well-made wine) is also impressive.
Good Mâcon-Villages is so versatile as a partner for food that everybody should have a bottle or two tucked away for occasions when there simply isn’t time to make a mad dash to the wine shop to find a match for a special meal. It will go with just about everything except game or red meat.
Alcohol: 13%
From Marks & Spencer, €18.99
Mary Dowey @MaryDowey
This article appeared in a previous issue, for more features like this, don’t miss our September issue, out Saturday September 3.
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