What an amazing White Burgundy!

There are generally two types of grapes in Burgundy: Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. These two grapes vary so much throughout the region of Burgundy, and they give us some of the most wonderful wines in the world.

I recently bought a bottle of a 2009 White Burgundy that was, in fact, not made from the Chardonnay grape, but instead Sauvignon Blanc. In my experience, I’ve only ever had Sauvignon Blanc wines as a typical White Bordeaux. (Two typical white grapes from Bordeaux: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon – FYI, Sauterne is the most famous of the White Bordeaux.) The wine comes from the appellation of Saint-Bris, just below Chablis (a White Burgundy made from Chardonnay).

It was not what I was expecting at all! I adore White Burgundies; they can be so light, cool and refreshing on a hot day, and pair wonderfully with poultry, fish, roasted vegetables, and cheeses just to name a few. But this bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from Saint-Bris was utterly different. It still had a wonderful breezy quality to it, like a Chablis, but being a Sauvignon Blanc, it wasn’t as light. These wines tend to be heavier on the tongue, with more intense notes of the terroir. The “nose” had a sense of not-quite-ripe pears, and the “mouth” was full of grassy notes and wet leaves, while still having the fruitiness of the pears.

I must add that while many White Burgundies, such as Chablis, can be had with or without food, in my personal opinion, a Sauvignon Blanc is much better appreciated with food. So, to go with it I made pasta in a light sauce with chicken, peas, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes. Perfect :-)

It was a really interesting wine. A White Burgundy that’s NOT made from Chardonnay...I never would have thought! I highly recommend, all you oenophiles out there, to go out and find a wine from Saint-Bris. You might be very pleasantly surprised – I was!

Drink safely, drink happily. Cheers!