2009 Cave des Vignerons de Saumur White Les Pouches

Chenin blanc can have a very pronounced, somewhat telltale aroma. Some people think it smells like wet dog. Others think it smells like skunk. I think it smells like stinky blue cheese. Not always, and it becomes more pronounced, I think, when winemaking practices are less than idea (or sanitary).

This chenin blanc from the Saumur region of the Loire Valley smells like blue cheese. But not too much. A fine gorgonzola, perhaps, as opposed to a stinky stilton. There is also a cool mineral aroma, almost musty. I'm not getting any fruit to speak of.

The wine is bone-dry on the palate, and very sour. I did make the mistake of having some ice cream before tasting, though I tried to cleanse my palate.  Sweet foods can make a dry wine taste overly sour and one-dimensional. So it could be that, but really I'm finding the wine quite thin in flavor, with some burning acidity. I can't really say whether it's balanced or not, because there's nothing there to balance.  I'll have ot retaste this wine sometime pre-ice cream and see if it's any better. Because right now it's kind of like a glass of ice water with fake lemon juice squeezed into it.

Vintage: 2009
Region: Saumur, Loire Valley, France
Grape: Chenin Blanc
Price: $15