Drouet Freres - 2013 "Privilége de Drouet" sauivgnon blanc

Today's wine is a special bottle, purchased from friend and wine merchant Charles Bissell in Glastonbury, CT. It's a Sauvignon Blanc, made in Central France in the Val de Loire by famous French wine house Drouet Freres. Val de Loire (Loire Valley par anglais) is a region central France known for winemaking, so much so in fact it's sometimes called the "Garden of France."

And perhaps now is a good time to say that my opinion of white wine has changed. I used to be against it - never having had a good glass of white - but over the years, I've come to enjoy various whites for their qualities. Today's wine is a sauvignon blanc - a green grape varietal originating from the Bordeaux region of France, but grown across the world. It's a common and famous grape; but depending on the climate, can have wildly varying taste and flavor profiles. Today's is a French grape, grown in the Loire Valley near the town of Orleans, France.

This is a wine best served cold, so it sat in the fridge for quite some time before pouring.

I like the cloudy color of the wine. Very little carbonation out of the bottle. The nose is clean; very muted aroma with not a lot of noticeable scents.

I was surprised at how delicious this wine was, even after aging for a year or so. It was very crisp, with no tart flavors or "grapefruitiness" that some other Sauvignon Blancs have (I'm looking at you, New Zealand!) This wine has a solid body of clean fruit and citrus, and I was pleased to see both no skunky notes or sour flavors. The wine is crisp, a little thin in terms of mouthfeel, but has a pleasing pear flavor on the finish.

Aftertaste developed a nice minerally note, which reminded me pleasantly of a beachside vacation I once took, sitting on the hot sand at midday with French cheese, medjool dates, and a crisp bottle of Torrontes grape by my side. You can buy this retail for around $13, and I think it's well worth it, both in the cooler weather and the hot summer season.