Domaine Corinne et Jean-Pierre Grossot - 2014 "Chablis" chardonnay [France]

Today's wine, the last vestige of my warm-weather libations, comes to me from the famed French winemaking region of Burgundy. According to friend and wine merchant Charles Bissell, the Burgundy region has been hit with bad weather the last few years. This means lower crop yields, higher prices, and fluctuations in quality, and certain wines from the region may be less desirable. Fortunately, I have it on good authority that the 2014 crop year, while diminished in size of crop, produced some nice wine. I happen to have an example here!

This is the first Chablis I've ever reviewed on this blog, and is grown entirely on the winemaking premises of Domaine Corinne et Jean-Pierre Grossot. The wine is both grown and produced on their estate in Burgundy. The grape is all Chardonnay, and in terms of classification, it's a Village wine (that's French, "vee-lahzh", the third of three classifications). The winery does own higher Grand Cru and  Premier Cru lots around Burgundy, examples of which are a bit too expensive for my tastes. But Village is totally fine by me!

A note about soil - as you can imagine, the soil in which vines are planted contribute greatly to the quality of the wine. The soil in much of Burgundy is called "Kimmeridgian soil",  a term used to describe a limestone-based soil composed of limestone, clay, and crushed seashells. This is the principal soil type in Burgundy, Champagne, and the Loire Valley, and many wine experts credit this soil for the success of the vineyards planted thereon.

As the Chablis has been sufficiently chilled (forty minutes in the fridge, then twenty minutes open and breathing in the glass), it's time to try.

It's light green color, and throws a slightly astringent, floral aroma of green apples. A good start!

 At first there's a little minerality on the tongue, but that gives way to a clean, non-oaked flavor that's crisp and light, perhaps too light. I noticed there's a cantaloupe / green melon rind flavor in there, somewhat different to the green apple aroma. On the finish, those mineral notes I experienced earlier return, lending a slight tartness to the aftertaste.

Although I was hoping for a more pronounced flavor, I'm still pleased with the wine. I'll take delicate and light over punch-in-the-mouth oaky any day. Regarding price - this wine is at the higher end of the spectrum for what I usually pay. It was $22.95, and if you're paying over $20 (or under $5) for a bottle of wine, you should ask yourself - why? I sought this out because I'd never tried a Chablis before, and it came highly recommended. Certainly not all Chablis are at this price point, but if you like your white wines delicate and light, give this a shot. Chablis and seafood (especially shellfish) is a classic food pairing.

Platform Brewing Co. - "Orange Blossom Gose" gose

Here's another from my trip to Ohio this summer - I had so many good beers it's hard not to keep reviewing them! This one is from Platform Brewing Co. in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland. It's their "Orange Blossom Gose" and is the first beer from Platform I tried (basically got it my first night in Ohio.)

Gose is a style of wheat beer originally brewed in Germany in the 1500s that has become super popular in American markets lately. Generally, they're lighter than most beers, very tart, sometimes made with ingredients like salt, coriander, cinnamon, or herbs. Today's is made from three varieties of malt (Pilsen, Pale Wheat and Vienna), Saaz hops, San Diego yeast, and has orange peel, sea salt, orange blossom water, and flaked wheat added.

I like the aroma - very clean with just a bit of citrus.

In the glass, it's a light orange, and is cloudy when candled. 

The beer is soft, tangy, slightly sour, with just a hint of orange rind / zest in there. It's also got a flat grain taste; much like the old Weetabix cereal, which is kinda nice. That's probably the flaked wheat they added as adjunct.

I like the tart, almost astringent taste. It's not Atomic Warhead sour, like the "Old Pro" from Union, but just sour enough to be enjoyable. I picked this up for $11.99 at the Giant Eagle in Berea, so not a bad price for 6. When colleagues Kevin, Matt, and I visited Platform, I inquired about this - the bartender said it was their most popular seasonal beer and they had a hard time keeping it in stock. I can see why! But if you can't find it, don't worry - it seems everyone is doing a gose these days.

Beer Flash: Treehouse Brewing Co.'s "Haze" IPA

Here's a beer that I was able to get through trade - it's Treehouse Brewing Co.'s "Haze", an 8.2% ABV imperial IPA. Since all Treehouse cans are only available at the brewery (or through enterprising folks who trade) this was something I'd never come across here in DC.

The main theme of this beer was oranges. The beer has a sharp aroma of orange juice, and as you can see below, looks just like OJ. Very alcoholic OJ.

Taste-wise, it's a flat citrus flavor, very soft, with no sugary notes. Pleasant, and tasty, but the taste doesn't "pop" like I was expecting. The alcohol doesn't show, either, which is interesting. I'm curious to see what else Treehouse has - of course you should try this if you come across is (due it the rarity of all Treehouse's stuff) but it's not my particular cup of tea (or OJ.)