The Whitehouse Crawford Loire Wine Tasting

On Sunday, July 26th, the Whitehouse Crawford Restaurant in Walla Walla resumed its series of tastings with wines from France's Loire Valley. General manager Jenna Bicknell selected the wines and provided tasting sheets. Here are the most outstanding wines.

2013 Domaine Lucient Crochet Sancerre ($35) - From the Upper Loire, this 100% Sauvignon comes from Bué, Vinon and Crézancy and is organnically grown. Fermented and aged sur lie, this wine showed a pale gold color and aromas of pear, citrus, quince, blueberry, and wet stone, with scents of white flowers. The flavors comprised the crisp essence of Sauvignon Blanc, with fresh, well extracted fruits. 18.5/20 points.

2011 Dagueneau "Pur Sang" Pouilly Fumé ($120) - The late Didier Dagueneau was legendary for his intense, pure Sauvignon Blancs from across the river from Sancerre. This top of the line cuvée, exhibited a brilliant gold color and intense perfumes - white flowers, white lavender and smoke - with a mélange of intense, laser-like, yet soft and delicate flavors that showed piercing limestone minerality, yet again, warm and elegant. 19.5/20 points.

2012 Nicolas Joly Savennieres, Clos de la Coulée de Serrant ($120) - Coulée de Serrant is dry Chenin Blanc of extraordinary depth and intensity. This one biodynamically grown, showed a deep gold color and an intoxicating nose of pear, peach, apricot, honeysuckle, pear blossoms and white incense. The mouth encompassing flavors were highly extracted, rich, yet dry, with piercing minerality, perfectly ripened, with precise natural acidity on the endless fine ground spice (nutmeg, cardamom, clove) finish. 20/20 points.

2002 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon ($69) - Coteaux du Layon produces sweet Chenin Blanc. This one, from 20% underipe, high acid grapes and 80% late harvested grapes (for as long as 120 days) which go through a slow fermentation process. resulting in wines of extraordinary oulence. This one showed a brilliant gold color and intense aromas of pear, peach, apricot, butternut, honeysuckle and wildflowers. The flavors were lavish and super ripe, with fine acidity, and notes of pêche melba, butternut, citrus and créme brulée, followed by a long, long leesy, unctrous, yet elegant and precise sweet finish. 19.5/20 points.

The Whitehouse Crawford French Rosé Tasting

The next evening, July 27th, Jenna Bicknell put on another inpromptu tasting of French Rosés. Here are my top picks.

2014 Domaine Sorin Côtes de Provence Rosé ($13) - This was the best value of the wines tasted. It showed a light copper color and attractive aromas of raspberry,cherry and melon, with a nice, delicate mouth feel and good acidity and length. 17.5/20 points.

2014 Chateau Trinquevedel Tavel Rosé ($19) - Tavel is situated across the Rhône River from Chateauneuf du Pape and produces only rosés. Composed of 45% Grenache, 24% Cinsault, 15% Clairette, 10% Mourvèdre and 6% Syrah, this showed a pink color and a fresh, lovely nose of strawberry, cranberry, pomegranate, pink flowers and white incense. The flavors were lively and well delineateed, with a persistent dry finish. 18.5/20 points.

2014 Domaine de la Chanteleusserie Bourgeuil Rosé ($16) - Produced from Cabernet Franc, this Loire Rosé offered a light pink color and fresh ("frais") aromas of strawberry, cherry, wildflowers and light smoke. The flavors were light and well fruited with a crisp, vivacious finish. 18/20 points.

2014 Domaine Charles Joguet Chinon Rosé ($20) - Chinon is situated next to Bourgeuil, and also grows Cabernet Franc. This possessed a copper-pink color and a lovely, perfumed nose of raspberry and cherry with wildflowers and a whiff of smoke. The crisp, well-defined flavors danced on the palate, with grape skin extracts and minerals, followed by a fine, persistent finish. 18.5/20 points.

A Few More Rosés

Here are a few wines that I tasted over the past few weeks.

2014 Chateau de Campuget, Costierès de Nimes Rosé ($10) - I purchased this at Safeway for $8.99. Not the best Rosé, but a bargain at the price. It showed a light pink copper color and an attractive nose pf raspberry, cherry and red corrants, with scents of Mediterranean wildflowers. The flavors was light, right, juicy and dry. 17.5/20 points.

2014 La Bastide Blanche Bandol Rosé ($23) - Bandol is located in Provence, and is produced from Mourvèdre. This one showed a brilliant light copper color and intriguing aromas of strawberry, cherry. pomegranate, and tangerine, with scents of cherry blossoms, meadow flowers and Provençal herbs. The flavors were ripe and vivid, with notes of grape skin, fraise liqueurs and bright fruit acids on the lingering spice ad herb accented finish. The depth and terroir gives ths a plus. 18.5+/20 points.

2014 Mansion Creek Cellars "The Rocks" Vino Rosado, Walla Walla Valley ($16) - This an attractive Rosé of Sangiovese. It offered a light copper hued color and intriguing aromas of Rainier cherry and tangerine peel, with scents of dried roses and herbs and flavors of grape skin, cherry liqueur and recurring tangerine peel. followed by a dry finish. 18/20 points.

2014 Bunchgrass Grenache Rosé, Walla Walla Valley ($22) - Here, Tom Olander has come up with a winner. Pink salmon colored, it possessed attractive aromas of strawberry, cherry, pomegranate, and watermelon, with scdents of wildflowers and cherry blossoms. The flavors were enticing, with fresh, lively fruits, intermixed with grape skins and pomegranate seeds and followed by a dry, lightly herbed and spiced Provemçal like finish. 18.5/20 points.