Sarah finds joy in sparkling Vouvray…
I like wines that are utterly unapologetic. Philippe Foreau’s Sparkling Vouvray Brut (Clos Naudin) is one such wine. It makes no attempt to please a crowd, or to be anything other than what it is, which is utterly delicious and unique. It’s savory – all that apple skin, beeswax, quince – and just a dash of green apple juice.
And it’s textured: waxy, grippy and mouth filling without even a hint of sweetness that makes it impossible to scribble down notes without writing ‘austere’ in capitals and underlining it twice. But in a good way, because we don’t always need wines to be easy-drinkers. Sometimes they need to make us sit up and listen.
Some brief background: Domaine du Clos Naudin was founded in 1923 by Armand Foreau, Phillipe’s grandfather. (Armand’s daughter Germaine, Phillipe’s Aunt, married Gaston Huet of the famed Domaine Huet, before World War 2, when Gaston was taken prisoner of war. This story is brilliantly told in one of my favorite wine books, Wine and War.)
This 100% sparkling Chenin Blanc saw second fermentation in bottle, before spending over six years on lees. The ripeness of the vintage meant that, unusually, no dosage was needed.
But bottom line: Tasty, and pleased my study group on a sunny Saturday. Sourced at Maison Mura, Downtown Miami, for $41. (It’s tempting to point out that this is far cheaper than Champagne of comparable quality, but really this wine sits in an entirely different category and style. So let’s just say that it’s worth every cent…)
Sarah is a freelance wine educator, writer and events host, based in South Beach. She holds the WSET Diploma in Wine & Spirits and is a current Master of Wine student.
