I decided that lunch with family at a terrific restaurant was a fitting setting for my last bottle of 1997 Pinon Vouvray Cuvée Tradition, a wine that has seen so many family celebrations through the years, and it again performed admirably. This bottle is probably a little past peak, showing a little oxidation, but Chenin handles a little oxidation pretty well as the honeyed stone fruit and minerals seem to absorb it. With the sec tendre sweetness and still lively acidity, it is made for food, and paired brilliantly with a range of inventive and delicious dishes focused on seafood and vegetables, though it worked with a raw beef dish just as well. The wine may be gone, but the memories of it will last for a long time.
I decided that lunch with family at a terrific restaurant was a fitting setting for my last bottle of 1997 Pinon Vouvray Cuvée Tradition, a wine that has seen so many family celebrations through the years, and it again performed admirably. This bottle is probably a little past peak, showing a little oxidation, but Chenin handles a little oxidation pretty well as the honeyed stone fruit and minerals seem to absorb it. With the sec tendre sweetness and still lively acidity, it is made for food, and paired brilliantly with a range of inventive and delicious dishes focused on seafood and vegetables, though it worked with a raw beef dish just as well. The wine may be gone, but the memories of it will last for a long time.
Dec 17th, 2017
Vouvray, Touraine, Loire Valley, France
