Monteney (France) Bordeaux Blanc 2000
I don’t want every wine I drink to be a ‘blockbuster’ experience. Though its great to find a wine that stops you in your tracks with its explosive fruitiness, depth or power, the down-side is that they are sometimes tiring to drink. They also tend to be high in alcohol and too dominant when drunk with food. ‘one glass good; two glasses bad’ is a nice way of summing-up such wines. This Bordeaux struck me as a perfect example of a smaller-scaled, balanced and perfectly weighted food wine at a very honest price. It is a classic white Graves blend of Semillon (some of which was matured in oak barrels) and Sauvignon Blanc. It is fresh and appetising on the nose, with citrus fruit and a little hint of buttery richness. On the palate it is clean and crisp, with a fine sense of purity, but backed up with just a suggestion of creaminess and apple fruit from the oak-aged Semillon. With a modest 12% alcohol, this is a lovely wine to drink with fish, seafood or maybe a Caesar salad. 3.99 Aldi
