theCompass
 Home   Map   Blog Roll   WineCompass   Wine 101   My Compass 

Brightleaf White

Brightleaf White Wine Details
Price: $15.00 per bottle

Description: Blend of 80% Viognier (pronounced ven-yay), 15% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Seyval Blanc perfect balance of tropical fruit and crisp acidity, fresh, clean finish.

Varietal Definition
Viognier:
The most acclaimed white wine grape from France's Rhône Valley, Viognier is a highly aromatic varietal, with a flavor profile that could include peach, apricot, nectarine, lichee, musk and flower blossom. The heady perfume of this varietal is one of its trademarks, although its flavors are sometimes problematic in matching with food. However, it does well with lobster, crab and moderately flavored fish. Use it as an apéritif as an alternative to Chardonnay. The "Rhône Rangers" in California have done an excellent job promoting this varietal.
Seyval Blanc:
A French hybrid that is often thought of as "East Coast Chardonnay," or at least an alternative to same. Produced in a crisp, dry style, this white wine is often fermented or aged in oak to enhance the rather neutral flavors of the grape itself. It lends itself to service at the dining table and is food friendly. Seyval Blanc is often used in proprietary blends; good examples can be found from Prejean, Clinton and Château Lafayette Reneau.
Sauvignon Blanc:
Sauvignon Blanc is widely grown in California — at over 15,000 acres, it’s now the third most planted variety — and often assumes the moniker ‘Fume Blanc’. This popular synonym, credited to Napa’s Robert Mondavi, derives from the grape’s historic home of Pouilly in France’s Upper Loire Valley, where Sauvignon Blanc is the dominant varietal and goes locally by the name of ‘Blanc Fumé’. When treated with respect and afforded suitable growing conditions, Sauvignon Blanc is one of the wine world’s darlings. Steely, racy acidity, green, gooseberry fruit, asparagus and a grassy, herbaceous character characterize dry wines made from this grape.


Reviews




Back to Keeper’s Cut Meadery information