As
we mentioned in a recent post, the Côte Chalonnaise region at the
southern tip of Burgundy is an excellent place to find good deals. In
Rully, an area within the Côte Chalonnaise, you can come across some very nice whites. The winemakers there use methods similar to the wineries in the Côte
de Beaune, which is where many of the big-time (usually expensive)
whites like Chassagne-Montrachet come from. In other words, Rullys are
(often) the poor man'sCôte de Beaunes.
Case in point: the 2006 Vincent Gerardine Rully Blanc 1er Cru Les Cloux. Like most white Burgundies, this one is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes. It's aged mostly in stainless steel casks, along with just enough new French oak to give it the classic Rully toastiness. But it's not oaky and bears about as much resemblance to a typical California Chardonnay as Classic Coke did to New Coke.
This
is definitely a rich, round wine--not ideal for casual sipping or
cocktail hour. Its subtle tropical fruit notes would make it a good
companion for pork, game birds, or high-oil-content fish like king
salmon or mackerel. Lobster, the traditional pairing for high-end white
Burgundies, would be great. So if you want to blow all your money on a
few choice lobsters, go ahead, because this bottle is a serious
bargain. For $18.99, we'll give it an 8.0 out of 10.
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