Wines of the week | Three subtly surprising whites

This week, three white wines. They will all be excellent companions for the crab, but given its price this year, we may prefer other seafood delicacies. They are also all three made from more “neutral” grape varieties, not aromatic. These are fine wines, with texture, which are revealed above all on the palate.

Veronique Rivest
Sommelier, guest collaborator

A saline tip that makes your mouth water

Muscadet wines, made from the melon de Bourgogne grape variety, went through an industrial production phase which considerably tarnished their image. But the region has excellent winegrowers who produce real local wines, at more than reasonable prices, and who today make Muscadet an appellation to seek out. Many of these wines have very good aging potential. This one, from sandy-loamy soils on gneiss, with a six-month aging on lees, is to be drunk young. A fine nose opens with notes of apple, pear, cream, with a hint of white flowers. Dry, light and fresh, it offers a delicately creamy mouthfeel with a saline hint. But above all, it makes you want a second drink and a large seafood platter!

Bonnet Huteau Les Bonnets Blancs Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie 2020, $19.60 (14240195), 12%, organic

Aging: 1 to 2 years

A safe bet

Traisental is an appellation west of Vienna, south of the Danube and very close to those of Kremstal and Wachau. As in the latter, excellent grüner veltliner, the most cultivated grape variety in Austria, is produced here. Markus Huber is one of the best winemakers in the region, and his wines never disappoint. This offers a delicate nose, with aromas of pear, peach, herbs, parsley and white pepper. The mouth, of an irreproachable balance, shows a certain amplitude while being nimble and dapper. Very slight bitterness adds tone and a delicate chalky impression lengthens the finish. A classic pairing for wiener schnitzel, fried fish or seafood (with green goddess sauce), or pan-fried with a creamy herb sauce, a green salad with warm goat cheese.

Huber Grüner Veltliner Obere Steigen Traisental 2020, $23.10 (13675832), 12.5%, organic

Aging: 6 to 8 years

Totally delicious

The Aligoté grape variety is often considered the poor child of Burgundy. But it is far from being of poor quality! And its high acidity has become an asset with climate change; we see more and more very good wines made from it. They offer an excellent alternative to the ever-increasing price of white burgundies. Very fine on the nose, it gives off a mineral impression. A ripe fruit, with accents of pear, brings a certain richness in the mouth, balanced by a fresh acidity. Notes of apple, pear, cream and this mineral impression merge in a very harmonious mouth, which also shows tension. Tailor-made for crab, lobster, pan-fried scallops, seafood risotto.

Pierre Naigeon Bourgogne Aligoté La Riotte 2020, $24.65 (14878818), 13%, organic

Aging: 3 to 4 years