What's In A Name

A case in point is today's topic, Bordeaux Blanc. Knowing that white Bordeaux is made from blend of semillon, sauvignon blanc and to a lesser extent, muscadelle, is likely to attract more attention from consumers than telling them it comes from the Bordeaux sub-regions of Graves or Entre-Deux-Mers.

It's all about confidence, and since we know a fair bit about sauvignon blanc (thanks to the New Zealanders) and now a little bit about semillon (from the Australians), it gives us an edge with Bordeaux Blanc.

The style will vary depending upon the blend, but the trend has been to add more and more semillon to the wine. The rich oily structure of semillon proves a wonderful foil to the acidic, green, herbaceous flavours of the sauvignon blanc.

The resurrection of the muscadelle, used for its prominent floral aroma, gives the wine a fresh upfront character in the glass that will satisfy impatient drinkers who can't wait for the flavour in the finish.

The turn-around in white Bordeaux (although not necessarily reflected in the choice available in B.C. liquor stores) has been remarkable since the early 1990s.

Grapes grown from specially selected clones are harvested at optimum maturity. Careful handling en route to the winery further protects the grapes from any pre-crush damage, resulting in pristine fruit being delivered to the crusher.

The fermentation process is most likely to take place in a temperature-controlled stainless steel vat, capable of producing wine that is both crisp and fragrant, or in barriques (oak casks) that add an extra dimension of richness and complexity to the wine. The juice is either bottled separately or blended.

The light, fresh flavours of dry white Bordeaux make it the perfect match for most seafood dishes including fish, clams, mussels, oysters, crayfish, crab and lobster. When it comes to the richer, barrel-fermented and barrel-aged white Bordeaux, you can think of matches with cold cuts, warm salads and white meats like veal, pork and poultry.

Given the bounty of West Coast cuisine and the new-found interest we all share in food and wine, the ultimate use of dry white Bordeaux wines may only be limited by your imagination.

Here's a look at some widely distributed brands (note the wonky price points thanks to the recent tax hike).

Perhaps the best-known French brand in Canada is Mouton Cadet, although my guess is few consumers associate it with white wine. Mouton Cadet Blanc 2001 has yeasty, mineral, grapefruit aromas, round, slightly oily textures and lemon, grapefruit and nutty mineral flavours. It is crisp but balanced and fresh. It's a simple, straight-up white Bordeaux that is also available in half-bottles for $8.24.

The Jacques & Francois Lurton Sauvignon 2000 label is an ode to New World varietal wine drinkers. The Lurton brothers, sons of famed Bordeaux grower Andre Lurton, use only sauvignon blanc from selected Entre-Deux-Mers sites to make their unwooded Bordeaux blanc. Gooseberry, mineral and canned grapefruit mark the nose of what is a soft, slightly sweet, easy-drinking white. It is softer and less dry than you might expect from Bordeaux, but it should have wide appeal with white meat dishes or light seafood.

Baron de Montesquieu Reserve Bordeaux 2002 takes its name from French philosopher, Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu. The baron was a noted winemaker working from his family's Medieval castle, La Brede, that lies south of the city of Bordeaux. His descendants continue the tradition. The Montesquieu is a 50/50 blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc with a yeasty, mineral, grassy nose streaked with bell-pepper aromas. The structure is lean and dry with grapefruit, grassy, kiwi, mineral flavours and just a touch of oak. It is crisp and fresh and lean. Bring on the shellfish.

La Cour Pavillon Sauvignon 2002 has been around since 1970 when master of wine Martin Bamford created it. The concept is a personal selection of the cuvees blended to two-thirds Entre-Deux-Mers fruit and one-third from the gravel-covered soils of the Graves. The grape blend is 67/33 sauvignon blanc versus semillon. The nose is mix of orange rind, mineral, canned asparagus and passion-fruit notes. It is round and sweet on entry with crisp acidity and a whack of canned grapefruit, green apple and asparagus flavours. Unusually sweet for Bordeaux and definitely on the easy-sipping commercial side.

Charton la Fleur 2002 is an introductory style white Bordeaux made by Bordeaux negociant Schroder and Schyler using only sauvignon blanc. The nose is a mix of mineral, grass, peach and apple-skin notes with some dry floral aromas in the background. Similar dry mineral, peach skin, grassy, grapefruit flavours mark the palate. The finish is dry and mouth-puckering. Another candidate for clams or oysters. Good value.

Chateau Bonnet Entre-Deux-Mers 2002 is a 45/45/10 blend of sauvignon blanc/semillon/muscadelle made by the master Andre Lurton and his descendants since the end of the 19th century. Look for a floral, grapefruit nose with chalky, passion fruit and a touch of grass. It is soft, round and dry on the palate with gooseberry, melon, grassy grapefruit flavours. Nice fruit and acidity with good length. Not as austere as some, which gives it a wider commercial appeal.

WEEKEND WINE TASTING

WINE: Bordeaux Blanc, France (Sauvignon Semillon Muscadelle) Mouton Cadet Blanc 2001
PRICE: $13.38 (or in 375 mL at $8.24)
UPC: 0839601444045
SCORE: 14/20
COMMENTS: Crisp, balanced, fresh, straight-up white Bordeaux.

WINE: Jacques & Francois Lurton Sauvignon 2000
PRICE: $13.38
UPC: 635335121115
SCORE: 13.5/20
COMMENTS: Bell pepper and grassy passion-fruit flavours.

WINE: Baron de Montesquieu Reserve Bordeaux 2002
PRICE: $15.42
UPC: 611482960722
SCORE: 14/20
COMMENTS: The lean grapefruit, kiwi, mineral flavours, calls for shellfish.

WINE: La Cour Pavillon Sauvignon 2002
PRICE: $12.12
UPC: 098652500023
SCORE: 13.5/20
COMMENTS: Sweet-ish orange rind, mineral, tinned asparagus flavours.

WINE: Charton la Fleur 2002
PRICE: $12.37
UPC: 3263070011902
SCORE: 13.5/20
COMMENTS: Mineral, peach skin, grassy, grapefruit -- oyster wine.

WINE: Chateau Bonnet Entre-Deux-Mers 2002
PRICE: $18.57
UPC: 3338831199103
SCORE: 15/20
COMMENTS: Tasty bell pepper and grassy, passion-fruit flavours