Joel Delaunay’s Touraine Sauvignon
I was at the Cork and Bottle in Leicester Square with friends, and about to order a New Zealand sauvignon blanc or a South African chenin blanc, when I saw a huge tub filled with bottles of Joel Delaunay’s Touraine Sauvignon. It’s a Loire wine, very different in character from the New World treatment in that it is less up-front, fruity or acidic. No obvious gooseberries, lime and cut grass. Nonetheless, it is a pleasant wine with quite a lot going on. Most wine critics describe it as herby, which is fair enough. Some point to celery, asparagus, nettle and tarragon. It is unoaked and well-balanced, with a clean, subtle taste with tones that linger on the palate. I found myself thinking it would go very well with lightly smoked fish. It comes in at 13 percent.