deVine Thoughts

Author: Dirk Chan

Our online feature this week is the NV Undurraga Sparkling Rosé Royal (Leyda Valley, Chile) – $21.49, regularly $26.49.

Undurraga was established in 1885 and is one of the oldest wineries in Chile. The company has a total of 1,700 hectares of vineyards, distributed in the valleys of Maipo, Rapel, Leyda and Maule. It exports 75% of its wine production and in 2016 it projected annual sales of 1.5 million cases of wine.

In time for Valentine’s , our feature this week is their Sparkling Rosé Royal a 100% Pinot Noir based sparkler from the Leyda Valley, which is about an hour’s drive west of Santiago. Made using the Charmat method, this salmon colored bubblie offers up a nose of beautiful red fruits like strawberries and cherries alongside ripe peach and yellow apples. It is vibrant with fresh acidity and a lively, persistent mousse. Try pairing with creamy cheeses, fried foods, taco’s, and dark, but not too sweet chocolate. Prost everyone!

NV Undurraga Sparkling Rosé Royal (Leyda Valley, Chile) – $21.49, regularly $26.49.

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Author: Dirk Chan

The 2021 Bordeaux vintage was a challenge (unlike the preceeding trio of 2018, 2019 and 2020). The wine producers battled frosts, millerandage and mildew, rain, lack of sunlight with vineyard geography proveing crucial to the general outcome, with the best sites producing some of the best results. Thus the reds are earlier drinking and the stars of the vintage are the whites and the sweet dessert wines from Sauterne and Barsac – both of which deserve some love to warrant a few for your cellar. The whites are superb (the best white vintage in a long time), they have lift, presence, freshness and vibrancy – of course Pessac Leognan is home to some of the greatest whites around. The sweet wines are very special indeed, some comparing 2021 to the legendary 2001, 1988 and 1967 – we went long on these and thus have some extra to sell now on the shelf.

With all that in mind, here are the in-bottle releases of the whites and stickies. Quantities are limited so buy sooner than later, some there’s only 1 or 2 bottles available. Look fot the red release a few weeks from now.

Pictured from left to right:

2021 Château Reynon Blanc (Bordeaux, France) – $32.99
2021 Château La Garde Blanc (Bordeaux – Pessac-Leognan, France) – $64.99
2021 Château Brown Blanc (Bordeaux – Pessac-Leognan, France) – $77.99
2021 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc (Bordeaux – Pessac-Leognan, France) – $254.99
2021 Clos Haut-Peyraguey Premier Cru Classé (Bordeaux – Sauternes, France) – 375mL – $57.99

Other 2021 whites not pictured:

2021 Clos Marsalette Blanc (Bordeaux – Pessac-Leognan, France) – $59.99
2021 Domaine de Chevalier L’Esprit de Chavalier Blanc (Bordeaux – Pessac-Leognan, France) – $77.99
2021 Château Lespault-Martillac Blanc (Bordeaux – Pessac-Leognan, France) – $81.99
2021 Château Latour-Martillac (Bordeaux – Pessac-Leognan, France) – $94.99

Other 2021 sweet whites not pictured:

2021 Château Sigalas Rabaud Premier Cru Classé (Bordeaux – Sauternes, France) – 375mL – $69.99
2021 Château Coutet Premier Cru Classé (Bordeaux – Barsac, France) – 375mL – $69.99
2021 Château La Tour Blanche Premier Cru Classé (Bordeaux – Sauternes, France) – 375mL – $75.99

Prost everyone!

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