Today's wines are a first for me - hecho en México! A few weeks ago, I was meeting with a sales representative for a wine merchant and in his brand book were a half-dozen Mexican wineries. You don't hear much about winemaking in Mexico, as tequila, mezcal, and light beer dominate public perception of Mexican alcohol exports. However, the first vineyards in North America were planted in Mexico by the Spanish in the 1500s. According to WineFolly.com, there are over 170 wineries in our southern neighbor, with the majority located in the Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California, where Monte Xanic Bodega Vinícola is located. While it's not California alta in terms of production, a confluence of environmental factors make the inland climate of Valle de Guadalupe similar to the Mediterranean, which obviously is great for growing grapes.
So this 12.00% ABV white blend is comprised of 98% Chenin Blanc and 2% French Colombard. I've had Chenin Blanc extensively (we had a great South African expression in the bin deals at D'Vines for years) but never Colombard. According to my research, Colombard is a genetic descendant of Chenin Blanc and another grape, Gouais blanc. Colombard hails from the Charente department of southwest France, also home of the city of Cognac and the famous eponymous beverage. I really enjoyed the South African Chenin we had, but since terroir varies even from town to town, this Mexican variant is all new to me. Let's dive in.
There's not much aroma in the glass, but as it warms up, it projects a bit of...lime? Hold the Corona jokes, please.
I think this will be one of my new favorite still white wines. It combines the crispness of Chenin Blanc (makes sense as that's 98% of this blend) with a very pleasing salinity - ocean spray, with attendant notes of pears, minerals, and earth. But here's where it gets fun and funky - on the finish, it has a surge of that mallow flavor you get with a buttery California chardonnay. The butter finish is totally unexpected, and really fun.
Overall, a lovely bottle of wine, and one that I will be ordering in my professional capacity as a buyer for the store. It's reasonably priced, as well - $13.99 - and is a nice "in-between" that would pair nicely with chicken dishes, alfredo, and the like.
Monte Xanic also does a Chardonnay, which I noticed in the brand book. Hey, you know what? Let's do the Chardonnay too. I special-ordered a bottle in the next shipment, and here we go:
Ok, there's a little barnyard element to the nose - a little sour. Reminds me a bit of something made with Brettanomyces. Way different than the blend.
Well, the flavor of the wine isn't barnyard at all. It's much fuller in body than the other wine, and brings a pleasing tang, buttery texture, and flavor notes of peaches and nectarines. It lacks the flinty, mineral nature of the white blend, but makes up for it by adding a substantial body. Fans of California oaked Chardonnays would like this for a slightly lighter option, and at $15.99, it's a good buy.
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