Tasting the Great Wines of France (By Way of Paso Robles, CA)

Most of the greatest, most sought after wines from France are red wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Rhone region. But France also produces fantastic white wines as well! There’s a winery in Paso Robles, CA that specializes in producing high quality wines that emulate the greatest wines from France, and they do it extremely well. Let me introduce you to the great white wines of France, by way of Daou Vineyards in Paso Robles!

A collection of Daou Vineyards French varietal white wines

Those of you who read my blog regularly will recognize the name Daou – I have mentioned this fantastic winery based in Paso Robles, CA on a number of occasions over the years. The Paso Robles wine region is located on California’s central coast. It has hot, dry summers and cooler, wetter winters, making for perfect winegrowing conditions. Hailing from France (via Beruit, which at the time was often referred to as “the Paris of France”) , the Daou family eventually moved to California to try their hand at producing wines similar in style and substance to the great wines of France. Today, Daou Vineyards is one of the highest regarded fine wine producers in the United States, with a wide range of French-inspired wines using grape varieties indigenous to France.

After joining their wine club this past year, I quickly accumulated a collection of their unique white wines that included both single varietal white wines as well as blended white wines. That meant it was time to gather a few friends to share and enjoy these wines together, and to learn more about the great white wines of France, by way of Paso Robles, California!

I decided to organize the tasting by region, focusing on Bordeax, Burgundy, and finally the Rhone region of France. We tasted eight different wines throughout the afternoon and evening, a number of which were made with grape varieties many hadn’t tried before. Here’s a quick recap of our tasting and which wines rose to the top of the favorites list!

The tasting table

Our first stop was the Bordeaxx region of France, which is located near the east coast of France and southeast of Paris. Red wines in Bordeaux are typically blends made from five different varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. The white wines of Bordeaux are made from the Sauvignon Blanc, Semillion, and Muscadelle grapes. For this tasting, we sampled their Estate Sauvignon Blanc ($50) and Estate Semillion ($65).

The Sauvignon Blanc was a crisp wine with tight acidity, along with citrus notes and light herbal notes. It was bone dry, but had a lip-smacking fruitiness that carried through to a long finish. I think this one really surprised the group, because most of us weren’t big fans of Sauvignon Blanc. But this style was more fruit-forward as opposed to more herbal and grassy in character which dominate many Sauvignon Blancs available in the U.S. It turned out to be one of the top three wines of the tasting!

Next up was the Estate Semillion, which is the grape that is used in one of the most famous wines in the world, Chateau d'Yquem, which can easily run upwards of $300+ for a half-bottle! This wine was rich and viscous, with floral, nutty, and honey notes along with with spicy notes on the finish. It was full-bodied and unique in style and flavor. Some of the group struggled with the somewhat unique flavor profile of this wine – it was definitely less fruit-forward and a more complex and challenging wine to taste. I loved it, but was in the minority on this one!

With two wines under our belts, we moved on to the Rhone region of France, which is located in the southwest corner of France and shares a border with Italy and Switzerland. It’s generally split into two regions, the Northern and Southern Rhone regions. Syrah is the primary red grape variety grown in the North, while Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier are the primary white grape varieties in the North. The southern sub-region specializes in red and white blends of up to 19 different grapes, with the most famous region being Châteauneuf-du-Pape. We ended up tasting four different white wines made from grapes indigenous to the Rhone region – three single variety wines (Roussane ($58), Viognier ($55), and Grenache Blanc ($58)), and one blend of these three grapes (the Reserve Chemin de Fleurs ($48)).

The Roussanne was a crisp and dry full-bodied wine with medium acidity. It was aromatic with notes of pear, apricot, and tea on the nose and in the mouth. The wine was fruity in style, and and expressive as well. It was also beautifully balanced, and everyone in the tasting group gave it high marks for likeability!

The Viognier was up next. This was a varietal most of us had tasted before, and has a very unique flavor profile which can sometimes be an acquired taste. The up-front flavor notes include floral notes like honeysuckle, along with stone fruit (think peach) and vanilla as well. Citrus and kiwi dominate the finish, which is dry and lush in fruit and aromatic. This wine is full-bodied and complex, and was absolutely lovely. It was also a top three favorite of the group!

The third Rhone wine we tasted was the Grenache Blanc, an unusual wine that’s a bit rare, especially as a single varietal bottling. This wine was full-bodied and tasted a bit creamy in the mouth. It showed citrus, tangerine, and herbal notes as well. Lower in acitidy than the other Rhone wines we tasted, this wine was full-bodied and finished with orangecicle notes – it definitely took me back to my childhood. Many in the group thought this one was an acquired taste, but most enjoyed it none-the-less!

Our last Rhone wine was a unique proprietary blend of the previous three called the Reserve Chemin de Fleurs. It was crafted to showcase the unique contributions of each of the three individual varietals, and how they complement each other when blended together as a coherent whole. The blend was 74% Grenache Blanc, 16% Roussanne, 10% Viognier. The wine showed floral, citrus, peach, and grapefruit notes, with tight minerality and medium acidity. Unique in flavor and style similar to some of the others, I found this wine to be beautifully balanced and intellectually stimulating. Everyone liked it, but not enough to place it in the top three!

Our final stop on our wine tasting tour was the Burgundy region of France. Burgundy is located in central-eastern France, and focuses on wines made from the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. The wines from Burgundy are generally recognized as some of the highest quality, and most sought after wines in the world. We tasted two different white wines made from the Chardonnay grape: the Reserve Chardonnay ($60), and the Estate Collection Chardonnay ($100).

The Reserve Chardonnay was the only wine we tasted that is available outside of the winery. It’s dry and medium-bodied, with light minerality and notes of stone fruit, pear, apple, oak, and vanilla. It represents a restrained style of Chardonnay, with light oak, moderate acidity, and restrained fruit as well. A textbook example of a well-crafted Chardonnay made in the Burgundian style!

Our last tasting of the evening was Daou’s flagship estate Chardonnay. This wine was completely different from the reserve version. It showcased rich tropical fruit, along with citrus, vanilla, light butter, brioche, and toasty oak. It was a big, rich, and creamy Chardonnay, but perfectly balanced with a counterpoint of acidity and minerality. I thought it was a stunning wine, and so did most of the group. Which means it definitely finished in our top three for the evening!

So, there you have it – a quick tour of some of the great white wine varieties from France! If any of these sound good to you, most (but not all) are still available on-line from the Daou website. And for those that are already sold out, you might just know someone who actually has an extra bottle stored in the wine fridge that he (i.e., me!) might be willing to share with you if and when you visit!

Enjoying some fine wines with friends!