Dry whites from cool climate regions of the New World have grabbed attention over the past decade - with great justification because many taste magnificent and the price is often right. But when you get down to the basics, it's still pretty hard to beat a classic French white from Pouilly-Fume.
The Loire is the cradle of this style and Domaine Chatelain does a nice version of what is a basic wine that almost everyone likes. And so they should. After all, the estate has been in the Chatelain family since 1630, and after almost 370 years you would expect them to have the hang of things.
The 1996 estate-grown and bottled Les Charmes Chatelain is on the shelves at Wellcome for $148. That's not bad value for a winery from the nursery of French whites. It's 100 per cent sauvignon blanc, although, naturally, it doesn't say so on the label.
This has the crackling dryness of the region although there is plenty of fruit flavour and it doesn't have the acidic sharpness of some Loire whites.
It has a nicely discreet aroma, although it's a bit mouth-puckering with strong flinty characteristics. It goes naturally with sushi, shellfish and Cantonese steamed fish.
Don't swig this down with gay abandon; like a lot of quiet little French whites, this packs a pretty powerful 13 per cent alcohol.
It won a gold medal in the Brussels show last year and American guru Robert Parker rates the chateau as an excellent producer.
