Paul Pernot's 2010 Bourgogne Blanc

Happy 2012! I hope everyone had a happy, safe holiday season, creating more great memories with loved ones. Mine have gone well, I spent some quality time with family and friends and tasted some pretty interesting wines in the process. After living vicariously through many of you, I’ve finally rung in crab season … with vigor! I’ve had this conversation with many a customer, because I’m not alone here, but it just seems logical that one would drink more red wine (room temperature) in the winter than chilled white wine. For me, again, it’s just the opposite. Though I enjoy seafood all year, it seems I eat more of it in the winter time. That’s going to pop the cork on a few bottles of white wine right there. So if crab season has just recently begun, I look forward to enjoying more of those delectable crustaceans for months to come. What to drink? Among staff here at TWH, the answer is simple. White Burgundy. I’ve heard Anya say it more than once, “If I were rich, I’d drink White Burgundy EVERY Day.” So would I. Grand Cru and Premier Cru White Burgundy is expensive. It’s delicious, but expensive. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way. What if I told you we have a Bourgogne Blanc made by a famous producer of Puligny-Montrachet that is made from fruit sourced from in and around Puligny near the Meursault border, and it sells for $20.82 by the case? Imagine. White Burgundy. Chances are, if you’ve read our emails with any regularity, you would be familiar with the name Paul Pernot. Sure, we like to write about Pernot and his wines. They’re that special. His following is huge. White Burgundy lovers clamor over his Grand Cru and Premier Cru Puligny-Montrachets year after year. We get small allocations, but the wines are snapped up quickly every year. All of the wines. Pernot’s Bourgogne Blanc is quite the popular low $20′s quaffer ’round these parts, as it sells out the quickest. All that yummy Chardonnay goodness, crunchy orchard fruit, citrus blossom, a kiss of deftly used oak spice, and lively acidity. In 2010, the wine is rich, yet crisp and lively. There is mineral woven into the fruit profile, and the finish is long and harmonious. It walks like Puligny-Montrachet. It talks like Puligny-Montrachet. It says Bourgogne Chardonnay on the label. We don’t care, as long as that keeps the price nice. There’s plenty of crab season to go; but mind you, Pernot’s Bourgogne goes well with so much more. It shines with any crustacean you toss at it. It pairs great with chicken, especially a rotisserie chicken with fresh thyme. Halibut, sea bass, trout, and it makes a great partner with a slow roasted pork roast. $20.82 per bottle by the case.We apologize in advance if the wine sells out again. It will. So off we go, headstrong into 2012. I’m optimistic, though my football club has hit a rough patch. It is a year of transition, as much will change soon. But I’m optimistic. I see plenty of good things coming down the pipeline already. I’ll be in LA tasting the 2009 Bordeaux vintage out of bottle in less than a fortnight. A virtual swath of concerts featuring many old favorites and a couple of new acts await my attendance in the next month and a half. And I will make good on a few resolutions: #1 Taste more wine from places outside France. (This will be tough, knowing what my friends have in their cellars.) #2 Open more bottles at the bar at Picco on Monday nights. (If I can get in, they’ve been getting slammed lately.) #3 Blog more. (Er, okay, just blog.) #4 Visit Mom more often. (Though Sis and I did well in 2011!) #5 Allow for the serendipitous. (How will the gods find you if you don’t let them?) #6 Brevity. (I could go on and on.) Happy 2012! – Peter Zavialoff Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments on 2012, White Burgundy, or English Football: peter.winehouse@sbcglobal.net

About these ads