Sunday, October 12, 2008

Wine Corner Review #36: Chateau Rival Bellevue White Bordeaux

Bordeaux. The name connotes the classic be-all-and-end-all of what red wine should be to most aficionadoes: A supremely aged claret blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec, cabernet franc, and/or petit verdot. For centuries, this 800-pound gorilla of vino has cast a King Kong shadow over the rest of the wine world, impressing and even intimidating the most seasoned sommlier. Yet, Bordeaux is not all red wine; some lovely white wines are crafted as well, with sauvignon blanc as the principle grape. Some judicious searching in your local wine shoppe may yield some excellent finds of surprising values, such as today's quaff, the Chateau Rival Bellevue White Bordeaux.

The robe of the Chateau Rival Bellevue White Bordeaux is pale pewter with highlights of fool's gold. The nose gives the classic washed gravel and mineral aromas, with light touches of nectarine and pear. Lots more pear and subtle peach in the taste, with a light, dry finish. Like any sauvignon-blanc-based wine, this blanc is great with spicy seafood; in a fit of whimsy, I tried it with candy corn and it actually worked, the dryness playing against the corn's sweetness quite nicely. I was unable to locate a website anywhere, yet I was finally able to read a rather interesting article on www.wineinsiders.com, which taught me much about the grape that I did not know. Discover your own white gorilla soon, and remember:

LIFE IS TOO SHORT FOR MEDIOCRE FOOD!!!

No comments: