I may have been on a temporary break from writing about wine but I was certainly drinking my share since my last post! For my birthday my boyfriend purchased me a membership to the Zagat Wine Club. My first case has arrived and I am already diving in and tasting the offerings. Le Petit Pauvre Chardonnay 2007 is one of their white wine picks. Produced in Monteray County, CA this dry and full bodied white is created from 100% chardonnay grapes sourced from several wineries in the state. In the glass it was a very pale straw color. It had a minerality to the aroma as well as hints of lemon and pear. The flavors in this Chardonnay were very different from the Chardonnays I have been drinking lately. I don’t think this wine has undergone malolactic fermentation since there wasn’t a strong buttery flavor that I have come to love. It was however refreshing and crisp with very tropical fruit flavor and great acid. This wine is aged in French oak and is on the stronger side with the alcohol at 13.9%. I enjoyed Le Petit Pauvre Chardonnay with citrus halibut and an orange and red pepper couscous. Paired with poultry, fish, or cheese it is a great choice and is very reasonably priced at under $20 per bottle.
