A very cool American - 90p

Our Easter pick is a brilliant white made on a grape traditionally found and cultivated in The Loire Valley and South Africa; Chenin Blanc. But this time made by two Americans whose trade is within the wine business. William Kelly is a wine journalist now reviewing wines from Burgundy for Decanter Magazine. His partner in crime is Frank Ingriselli, also a wine journalist. Together they started Beau Rivage Cellars. Launched in 2017, their search for organically farmed fruit capable of attaining mature flavours at moderate degrees of alcohol led them to Clarksburg, where Chenin Blanc thrives on the banks of the Sacramento River.
They found that growing Chenin Blanc in Clarksburg turned out very different from California. They used their love for Burgundy wine making techniques and applied it to their Chenin and with remarkable results. Our wine of the week is actually their first vintage. 2017 was a vintage that needed a few years to unwind in the bottle, but now it’s drinking just perfectly. It only holds 12,1% alcohol, which in American terms is very low. This makes room for more flavours, depth and pure drinking pleasure. A little gem of a wine.

Tasting notes

​Beau Rivage Chenin Blanc 2017 - 259kr

Yellow towards green. Intense and aromatic nose with plenty of wild flowers, crunchy apples, lemons and warm rocks. 
Great mouthfeel with good intensity in the fruit.  Lemons and flowers, with a long sort of salty finish.

WITH FOOD 
Chenin Blanc is generally a brilliant grape for pairing with food. The intensity combined with good acidity does the trick. This wine will be nice with most seafood dishes. Halibut and cod in buttery sauces, shrimps with mayo, lobster rolls and pepper crab. But you can also have great luck with poultry dishes. Try a chicken Caesar salad, turkey with sauce or classic sushi. Will even handle a cassoulet with rabbit.