Jeff’s Corner 11-30-18

Today is Cuvee Day, so how about a big HEY HEY HEY for the new 2017 Cuvee Blanc?

 “Cuvee” means blend, and it’s a derivative of the word “Cuverie” which is the French word for the production facility. (We call our production facility “the tank room”, which is much more Texan.) Cuvee is most often associated with Champagnes, which are typically a blend of wines from different vintages.

Cuvee Blanc has been part of our portfolio at Grape Creek for at least 16 years. In the past, it has been blends of many different grapes, and I remember one from years ago that was Chardonnay, Semillon, and Chenin Blanc.

The color is a pale yellow/gold with a slight hint of chartreuse and a crystal clear rim. Back to Jason’s traditional four grapes after the ’16’s six grape blend, we have 44.1% Viognier, 22.6% Pinot Grigio, 20.7% Muscat Canelli, and 12.6% Sauvignon Blanc. The ABV is 13.7%.

The Viognier and Muscat dominate the nose with some lovely floral notes, while the Pinot adds some tropical fruits and the Sauvignon Blanc a crisp backbone of acidity.

Early on, the aromas show lots of grapefruit, mandarin orange, peach, and lemon grass. As it warms up and develops in the glass, the Viognier asserts itself with wildflowers, honey, butterscotch, and caramel.

The palate is young and aggressive with bright acidity nicely balanced with lots of delicate fruit. The finish is refreshing, crisp, and clean, and will develop even more complexity with a few more months in the bottle.

Serving temp for this is your choice; it’s leaner at 45*, much fruitier at 50. I like it closer to 50*.

Let’s try this delightfully refreshing wine with some fresh grilled Mahi Mahi or Ling accented with capers, sun-dried tomatoes, and kalamata olives sautéed in olive oil, white wine, and lemon. Cheers!