Apart from sheltering from the rain in Enowine in the IFSC, I had another motive for this evenings tasting. Due to Baby M, The Lovely P hasn’t had a proper glass of wine for well over a year. I want to buy her a couple of nice bottles and as she’s a big fan of Chablis and Sancerre, I had to do a bit of research.

With the help of Elodie (from Enowine), the three wines that I “researched” were:

• a Chablis (Chardonnay)
• a Pouilly Fumé (Sauvignon Blanc)
• a Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc)

Chablis Premier Cru, “Côte de Léchet” Domaine Hervé Azo, 2006, €26

• To look at: a very light faint colour
• Smell: A slightly chalky smell was all I was getting.
• Taste: A kind of mineral-sandy taste with a little pear thrown in.
• Verdict: A nice dry, smooth and what I’d call elegant.

Classified as part of Burgundy, all Chablis is made from the Chardonnay grape (you won’t see that on the label) but this one is far more subtle than any of the Chardonnays I’ve had from Australia.

Sancerre “Apud Sariacum” Philippe Raimbault 2006, €19

Sancerre is on the left of the Loire river. Made from Sauvignon Blanc, it’s worth comparing to those from New Zealand.

• To look at: a very light faint colour
• Smell:more distinctive than the Chablis, distinctive lemon zest with a little bit of damp Air Jordan 6, Black too (see below for what this means!)
• Taste: while still very delicate, far more dry citrus fruitiness going on than the Chablis, and higher acidity too.
• Verdict: While quite different from the Chablis, delicate. Would suit a very light fish meal, not one for rich foods

Pouilly Fumé “Mosaïque” Philippe Raimbault 2006, €19

Like Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé is also a Sauvignon Blanc, but from the other side of the river Loire. Same grape, same producer but a different area. Did it make a difference?

• Smell: not so much a smell, more of a delicate fragance, which sounds really poncy.
• Taste: Less acidity than the Sancerre, but smoother, more elegant and delicate. A hint of peach going on there (like those spring waters from a couple of years ago with a hint of whatever fruit, however minuscule)
• Verdict: This was my favourite of the three. Much smoother and more elegant.

Overall thoughts on these whites

While well out of my usual comfort zone of reds, I started to appreciate the delicate differences between the Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs from Chablis and the Loire valley versus those from Australia and New Zealand respectively.

However, it was quite difficult for me to pick up the smell and taste from these as they were so delicate or light compared to what I’m used to.

What do Sancerre & Nike Air Jordans have in common?

In the early 90’s when black runners were all the rage, I had a pair of the coolest runners ever: Black Air Jordan’s (6).

Due to the suede-like material they were made from, all of these black runners, regardless of brand, had one thing in common.

When it rained and they got damp, they stunk worse than a tomcat’s piss.

So, while I looked cool in my Air Jordans, I stunk up he house so bad that my mother threw them out.