LCBO Sale Wine of the Week: July 28
La Chablisienne 2012 Vielles Vignes Chablis 'Les Vénérables' (Burgundy, France)
Sale $22.45, Regular $24.45
Discount (until Aug. 14): $2.00
LCBO # 215525 | 750 mL bottle
Tastes like: Precise green apple and citrus, with white peach and melon, and a nice hit of nuttiness rising on the finish. Plus, that nice wet stone “ping” (aka, “minerality”) requisite in all Chablis.
Pairs with: White fish, ceviche, sockeye, asparagus quiche, oysters, white pizza, pad thai, pho.
Good for: Poolside, dockside, bedside — a casual wine with a weighty side. Serve to friends, not acquaintances.
Alcohol: 12.6%
Drink: Now (that’s an order).
Why we're drinking this
If there were only one wine, it might as well be Chablis. It has an incredibly precise profile — apple and stone fruit flavours, bright acidity, a wet-stone steeliness, clean finish — and yet it’s a wine with infinite variability. Hailing from the top end of Burgundy, it suffers much at the hand of God (not that we’re particularly religious). It grows in the chilly north of France and there’s not much of it to go around. Which makes it precious. Even more so, as the weather in 2016 has been brutal. Frost, rain and hail have decimated the vineyards. We’re looking at a 50% reduction in production this year. So grab this one while you can — prices will be going up!
Tasting note
This has all the Chablis character at a pretty fair price. Chablis is never cheap, and it’d be nice if this wine was under $20, which would make it a really superb deal. Still, if you think it’s worth paying for character, then you’ll be happy. Just note that Chablis is an old world wonder — it won’t wow you with bluster and faux pizzazz. You need to pay attention. And you’ll be rewarded with wonderful green apple, stone fruit, melon and slightly savoury and herbal notes (lime pitch, sage, thyme). This bottle from the 2012 vintage has had some time to develop, and that means it has a nice nutty/yeasty finish. The texture is light, but it’s present. Honestly, I wasn’t sure about it at first, then I noticed the bottle was empty and I wanted more. So there you go. It’s that kind of wine. A solid 89 points, maybe 90 if I can get another bottle here stat.
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