Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc is a noble grape in the Loire Valley of France, usually used for making Vouvray. Wines made from this grape tend to be high in acidity and oily in texture. Vouvray can be dry, medium-dry, or sweet. Its key flavors are almond, lemon, apple, straw, flowers, honey, nuts, marzipan, wet wool, spice, and beeswax.
Chenin Blanc pairs well with mild blues, mild Cheddar, Baby Swiss, Edam, young Gouda, Fontina, fresh goat's milk cheeses, Gouda, Havarti, Mozzarella, Provolone, Ricotta, and soft sheep's milk cheeses. Even the dryer Vouvrays can work with softer cheeses, as well as the harder types.
Chenin Blanc, Jacques Lapin, Alamosa Wine Cellars 2003 (Tasted in 2004) I bought this at the Alamosa Winery. Texas High Plains. 12.8% alcohol. These grapes are 100% Chenin Blanc from the Martin Vineyard in the Texas High Plains. This vineyard is 27 years old. The wine has been fermented to dryness and "crafted in a lean muscular style evocative of the ubiquitous Jack Rabbit...a Texas icon, subject of tall tales, folklore and songs, food for coyotes and cowboys. This wine was crafted by Jim and Karen Johnson, http://www.alamosawinecellars.com. This wine is dark golden and full-looking. Nutty, dry, and intense like dried fruit. It has a long, fruity finish. I visited the Alamosa Winery and unfortunately, came down with some good ole Texas allergies, so my nose is off. Nevertheless, I liked this Chenin Blanc because it didn't seem syrupy like some. I especially like the sketch of the rabbit on the label. Jim and Karen said that these long-eared rabbits are all over the vineyard.
*Jacques Lapin with Cheddar. This is a real British Cheddar, but inexpensive and not so sharp. Very good together. This pairing brings out that kind of ripe, fermented flavor in the wine, and the texture of the cheese seems more suitable for the dense wine than a softer cheese. Fruity, nutty, lush, and bold. They balance each other out. They finish nicely together. I wish that there were more of this wine left, but my neighbor came up and went crazy over it, drank half of it up.
Jacques Lapin with Tomme de Ma Grand-Mère. I am throwing whatever cheese with this wine. Semi-soft, semi-aged goat's milk cheese from France. It has a bloomy rind, but I am trying it without the rind. This is good together. I thought it might work because of the nutty characteristics in the cheese with the acidic, dry wine. The cheese overpowers the wine somewhat, though. It works ok. No fighting. At the end, there is a toss-up between
Chenin Blanc, Fall Creek 2003 (Tasted in 2004) $5.89 at HEB. 11.5% alcohol. This is a Texas wine from Fall Creek Vineyards. This wine is nasty! It smells like rotten peaches and cardboard. It feels thick in the mouth. It reminds me of a really nasty Sauternes. It has some good acidity, but I can't get over that rotten fruit taste. It tastes better after you drink a little bit, though -- once you get used to it. It has a honey and spice flavor, but I can't say it's really pleasant. It's just too thick and weird. It is overpowering. Thank goodness it was cheap. Otherwise, I like Fall Creek. Maybe I just don't like Chenin Blanc. I think that after I have been drinking it for a little bit, it starts to remind me a little of Gewurztraminer.
Chenin Blanc Fall Creek with Gouda 2 year. This cheese is really butterscotchy. It goes well with a lot of wines, so why not try it with this difficult one. This wine kind of ruins the cheese, though. It totally wipes out the cheese, and then I taste something like wet dog stink, or maybe that's just the neighbor cooking. She has been cooking some nasty food tonight while we are trying to taste wine.
Chenin Blanc Fall Creek with Cabot Private Stock Cheddar. I like it ok with the Cheddar. It tastes kind of crazy. This Cheddar stands up to it ok. It cancels out some of the rotten taste of the wine.
Chenin Blanc, Steen KWV 2003 (Tasted in 2004) $7.99 at Whole Foods. Vince recommended this to me, I believe, to go with a blue goat cheese. 12.5% alcohol. From the Western Cape in South Africa. "An intense bouquet ranging from country hay, floral, tropical fruit to spice, followed by abundant ripe fruit flavours and a fresh, lingering aftertaste." http://www.kwv-international.com This is 100% Chenin Blanc. This is a pale straw color. It has some sweetness, but nice acidity. I taste some wood. It smells like peaches and mangos -- definitely tropical. Vince said that it had good minerality, but was soft. It has a gentle mouthfeel, acidity and minerality on the finish, fruit on the midpalate and the finish. It tastes full, but delicate, and it burns my mouth some. I also taste some woody flavors.
Chenin Blanc, Steen, with Hopelessly Blue. This is a blue goat's milk cheese from Pure Luck in Texas. This is ok together. The wine has enough residual sugar in it to make it palatable. The cheese is not too sharp. I might not serve it at a tasting because of the bitterness at the end, but it's not bad together. In fact, the more I eat it, the more I like it. I like the way the cheese is so light, but tangy and sharp, and the wine is bright and tropical. They are a good match weight-wise, and they also get along with their acidities and matching flavors of nut and wood.
Vouvray Barton and Guestier (B & G) 2003 (Tasted in 2004) $8.29 at Grapevine. 11.5% alcohol. This winery has been in existence since 1729 in the Touraine region of the Loire Valley. The label says that it has floral notes, peach and pear flavors, and a refreshing finish. It should go well with cheeses. This is an off-dry Vouvray. It smells floral and tastes like nuts, even in that bitter way. Very aromatic. Light spice, tingly, some minerality, almonds definitely, almost like almond extract, bitter and acidic on the finish. It reminds me of a Riesling with its sweet honey flavors and acidity. http://www.bartonguestierwine.com
B & G with Grafton 4 Star Cheddar. Good, but bitter at the end. The cheese is too sharp for this wine and its bitterness takes over. This might go better with Irish Dubliner Cheddar.
Vouvray Champalou 2000 (Tasted in 2005) $11.99 at Austin Wine Merchant. 12% alcohol. I didn't take good notes on this, but it needs to be served chilled. It is fruity and tropical with some residual sugar.
Champalou with Seal Bay Triple Cream Brie. These were wonderful together. I especially liked the fruity wine with the creamy, milky-tasting cheese. I served this with nectarines and dried mangos.
Vouvray Château Montcontour demi-sec 2000 (Tasted in 2004) $9.99 at Whole Foods. 11.5% alcohol. This wine is made from 100% Chenin Blanc. It is grown on the sun-baked limestone land of a 15th century castle on the north bank of the Loire. It is supposed to be a delicate, fragrant wine wiht ripe fruit character, crisp acidity, and long finish. It is supposed to go with fish, poultry, oriental dishes, and mild blue cheese. Vince at the cheese counter thought that this might be good with a blue that I bought. He said the blue needed something that finishes dry. The cork was nasty looking. It had shredded a little and it smelled like cardboard. I was afraid the wine was bad. It is a light green-yellow. It smells like cardboard. Maybe that is the wet wool smell described above, though I have never smelled wet wool. It also smells a little like gasoline. The cork really stunk like cardboard, but the wine seems to taste ok. It smells like spices at the Arabic Bazaar, like maybe incense. It smells faintly of fruit. It is sweet, acidic, and tastes of nectarine. It finishes slightly dry and tart, like apples. It is medium-bodied, and I see what they mean by oily.
Vouvray Château Montcontour with Balarina aged goat Gouda from Cheeseland. This cheese is a little goaty, slightly caramely, and salty. I also taste nuts. It blends well with the wine, but I feel like the fruit overpowers the cheese. They don't do much for each other. I taste the cheese. Then I taste the wine, and it is pleasant with the cheese taste. Then I just taste very ripe fruit.
Vouvray Château Montcontour with Belle Chèvre from Alabama. Oooh, I like this a lot. The goat cheese is so dense and tangy. It makes the wine extremely sweet and fruity, but then at the end, they mix together and make a tingly taste. The acidity cuts into the oil of the wine. It is like grass and flowers together. The acidities blend really well. The cheese and wine are balanced in density and flavor. This is definitely a winner.
Vouvray Château Montcontour with Gouda, Raw Milk from Cheeseland. I like this one a little better with the wine than the Balarina, but I still feel the wine overpowers a bit. Maybe I like this better because it seems to coat the tongue better and hold out through that wine. These are good together. I think the nutty flavor in the cheese blends in well with the nuts and fruits in the wine. Maybe I just like this cow's milk Gouda better than the goat for this wine, and maybe it is the raw milk.
Vouvray Château Montcontour with Jacquin Bleuet. This is a very earthy, Stilton-esque goat cheese. This works well, maybe because they are both from around the Loire Valley. I am surprised. The wine is a little overpowered, but not bad. It brings out a lot of the spice in the cheese. I think these work well together because the wine is nice and thick so it can deal with the spicy, crumbly cheese. I think the acidity in the goat cheese goes well with the acidity in the wine. This works really well, especially once the wine is nearly room temperature. I like this. The spice in the cheese lasts a long time, but I can still taste a little of the fruit in the wine afterwards since it is so oily and slippery. It says on the bottle that it is best with mild blue cheeses. I can see where it might be better that way since this goat cheese was so strong.
Vouvray Château de Valmer 2001 (Tasted in 2004). Comte de Saint Venant. $9.79 at Grapevine. From the Loire region. Pale yellow color with a peach-apple white fruits and flowers nose. Harmonious and rich with a persistent finish. This is also supposed to be crisp and light. I am going to try this with a Gouda and a Fol Epi French Swiss type. I think this is ok, but the cork was nasty. This is the second time I have had a Chenin Blanc with a nasty cork. The top of the cork was all dark and looked like it had been coated with sugar that rotted. Then, the cork was kind of falling apart, but was wet. I don't know what was wrong with it. It didn't smell good, either. The wine is a little stinky. It smells a little moldy, but I have had this in others, too. It has a honey smell and also some apple. I can get a little marzipan smell, too, if I concentrate. It tastes great, especially once it warms up a little. It is light-medium bodied, off-dry, and acidic, but not overly acidic. It has a viscosity to it. I taste apples, honey, and very light nuts. It is well-balanced and has a finish of tart fruit. This turned out to be a good wine for cheeses.
Vouvray Château de Valmer with Comté. Very good! This is a lighter Gruyère from France. The acidity in the cheese is not too strong, so I still get a lot of acidity in the wine. With something like the Lebne that was super acidic, it seemed like it cancelled out the zing in the wine.
Vouvray Château de Valmer with Fol Epi French Swiss type. This cheese is like a Baby Swiss, but fuller. It has a sweet, nutty flavor, and is very light. It is ok with the Vouvray. It's nice. I like the zip of the wine with this creamy-tasting cheese. At first, I thought the cheese and the wine were a good match strength-wise, but then it seemed like the cheese got washed away by the wine, but not bad. You just have to keep eating the cheese, and then drinking the wine.
Vouvray Château de Valmer with Lebne. This is a Middle Eastern yogurt cheese. It is tangy, soft, and light. I eat it with dried mint and olive oil. This is actually ok together. It makes the wine taste less acidic. I think this would be better with a less acidic cheese.
Vouvray Château de Valmer with Palhais. This is a fresh, marinated goat's milk cheese from Portugal. It is ok with the wine. I think the herbs are too much for the wine. It overpowers, but it is still good.
Vouvray Château de Valmer with young Gouda, Uniekaas. This is a stronger cheese than the French Swiss. It is salty, nutty, and rich. Very good together. This may be a better match. The cheese doesn't disappear, yet doesn't overpower either. The honey flavor comes out in the wine. There is some bitterness on the finish. This cheese and this wine complement each other more. I'm surprised that they don't seem matched in strength. The Gouda is richer, yet, with the acidity of the wine, it works. Honey, apple, nuts, and cream. I get a light candy aftertaste -- maybe the marzipan? It's very light.