Experimentation and quirkiness is all well and good. But sometimes, you just want something classic. Like a white wine from Burgundy (Meghan's all-time favorite).
We had a 2004 Domaine Chevalier Ladoix 1er Cru Les Gréchons the other night that satisfied our craving for an old-school French white. We picked it up on sale for $29.99, and were pleasantly surprised at its quality. It had a nice minerality and the subtle oakiness that comes from aging in oak barrels. We noted flavors of toasted almond at the beginning and tart apple (unusual in a Chardonnay) in the middle.
Just a quick note on white Burgundies: they're almost always Chardonnays. And the Chevalier comes from a region in Burgundy called the Côte de Beaune, which produces some of the greatest wines (both red and white) in the world. Normally, this bottle would have cost about $40-50 in the store, but right now there are some great bargains to be had. (Like most other high-end stuff, good wine is not exactly flying off the shelves.)
Particularly if you don't like the oak you in a typical California Chardonnay, this would be a great one to try--the oak adds to the experience rather than overpowering it. For the sale price, we give it an 8.5 out of 10, which we might knock down a bit if it were full-price.
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