Domaine de Poyane

Vintage: 2007
Producer: Domaine de Poyane
Appellation: Vin de Pays Côtes de Gascogne

On My Palate:

Alive out of the screw cap bottle: fresh, lemon, racing acidity. Quickly develops nuttiness and oily texture. Very straightforward and honest. Would be best with fresh fish.
The Dregs:

In France, the term “Agriculture Biologique” has stood for (and been legally enforced as) sustainable farming and production since 1980. This stamp on the back of your wine bottle ensures that the grapes were not treated with pesticides or chemical fertilizers, and that they were produced sustainably. Yes, “bio” wines—the flash French nickname—can be expressive and faultless at their best. With this proven, you wonder when quality-conscious consumers will have the opportunity to study ingredient labels on the backs of wine bottles. The “bio” movement might be more attractive to producers after they disclose the non-grape ingredients that go into their $50-plus bottles of wine and get hit with the subsequent buyers’ reactions.

This bottle of wine is available for under $10 retail and is a screaming deal.

Check out what the Armagnac grapes can do in a dry white wine and why the perpetually confusing “Vin de Pays” appellations are among the best recession wines.

Where:

At home with shrimp étouffée—a bit too spicy for this high-acid wine.