Lionel Bussy Villes Vignes Chablis '05
The Nitty Gritty:
- Vintage: 2005
- Varietal: Chardonnay
- Winery: Lionel Bussy
- Region: Chablis
- Country: France
- Price: About $20
- Rating: 83/100
- Tags: Chablis
You can thank the government in part for my choice to review a Chablis — having received my stimulus check late last week, I decided to do my civic duty and stimulate the economy by buying an egregiously expensive bottle of wine.
As I stated in this month’s column, Chablis can get expensive. REALLY expensive. But when I got to the wine store, I became more intrigued by the idea of trying to find a bad Chablis … more because I wasn’t certain it was possible.
I saw a few bottles in the $14-$15 range, a couple hovering in the low $20s, and then the rest, upwards of $30 or more. I picked a $20 bottle as a compromise.
In the glass, this Chablis had a bright golden hue, and almost smelled like a Sauternes. On the palate, I got golden apple, pear, golden raisin, some butter and a little chalk. The finish was at first toasty with a hint of caramel but remained dry, and lingered. Overall, it was wonderful, but something seemed a bit off — almost as if the grapes were on the vine a day too long and the sun beat the crap out of them, but they managed to pull themselves up by the bootstraps to produce a really nice wine.
Food pairing suggestions: summer pasta salads, cheeses, and swordfish.
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By Lauren McNally
Lauren B. McNally is a New York based consultant and freelance writer who spends most of her free time exploring culinary and oenological pursuits with friends. She originally hails from Maine and graduated from Bowdoin College,spending time abroad at the University of Cambridge in the UK (where she found the dining hall cuisine rather offensive and repulsive, as opposed to the top-ranked Bowdoin Dining Services). Her palate is ever-evolving but Burgundies are among her current obsessions. Her least favorite wine-related phrase: “I don’t like _.” Lauren also enjoys cooking Italian and French cuisine, and has an unnatural obsession with Gorgonzola and pancetta.
About The Humble Gourmand
The Humble Gourmand is published the first Friday of each month, edited by Alison L. McConnell, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and writer. It is designed to offer straightforward lessons and advice to aspiring cooks, oenophiles, and all other eaters and drinkers.
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