Sancerre 2006

Bill Dowd photo

As with the previous posting, I tried this wine during a private dinner at Easter Elchies House on The Macallan Estate near Aberlour, Scotland. It is a good example of one of the better Loire Valley whites, although the Sancerre region of France also produces respectable reds and rosés that are eminently drinkable.

• Sancerre 2006

This white Sancerre comes from the sauvignon blanc grape (the reds and rosés are made from pinot noir). It's semi-dry and slightly astringent, a fresh, fruity white with vegetal notes that went well with our consomme and smoked salmon starters.

I found it a well rounded wine, with notes of citrus, melon and pistachio and a pleasantly long finish. It's at its peak right now, since such wines shouldn't be cellared more than a few years.

Retails from about $22.

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