Chateau d'Epire Savennieres

[Innkeeper]

1999 Chateau d'Epire, Cuvee Speciale, Savennieres ($9.99 Chambers Street Wines). This was highly recommended by David at Chambers Street as "lean and intense in a good way." I think this is the same David that used to handle Loire wines at Garnet. At any rate, his remarks were an understatement. This was the best chenin blanc I have ever had in my life, and the best white under $10 this year. On top of all that it is a fantastic value.

Honey gold color for the eye. No honey on the nose though as the wine was booone dry. There was some lemon and even a little quince on the nose and upfront. Incedibly intense well balanced complexity crosses the palate, and the finish compares with the expensive side of White Burgundies. It was one of those I had to arm wrestle the better half for a fair share.

We ended up quaffing it after a four hour car ride and and hour and half ferry ride, all in the fog. Fortunately it was our only foggy day. The last three have been drop dead georgeous. In retrospect we should have asked our host if we could bring it to dinner. Dinner turned out to be Coquilles Saint-Jacques. The Savennieres would have gone perfectly with them. As it turned out the 13% alcohol had us showing up for dinner half louped. So we looked for and found nothing suitable by the glass to go with the scallops. So, I had a beer, and she had water. Yetch!

I very highly recommend this wine. It would go not only with shellfish, but with almost anything calling for a white wine. Look for it, or go to www.chambersstwines.com