More Pre-WBW Appetizers

A couple more lovely whites from the Mâconnais to get your wheels spinning for Silver Burgundy, the next installment, # 39, of Wine Blogging Wednesday, hosted this month right here in Brooklynguy-ville.

How about this at under $15 - the 2006 Le Bourcier Mâcon Cuvée Elena, a focused and pure wine with fresh and clean fruit, nice citrus notes, and great minerality. The 2005 version of this wine did great in the NY Times tasting panel's July Mâconnais tasting - the 06 is not as juicy and rich, but it is equally appealing for its vibrancy and tension, and its clean fruit. An amazing value too at this price - a $15 Beauty if I've ever seen one. This wine is not super widely available, which is odd because it's a Polaner wine. I bet you can find it, and if you like white Burgundy but for about $15 instead of $50, try this one. If you live in Brooklyn, I get mine at Prospect Wine Shop.

For a few bucks more, but still under $20, you should be able to get a bottle of 2006 Domaine Michel Cheveau Mâcon-Solutré Pouilly. This is sick wine, honestly, just sick. A Rosenthal selection, and Rosenthal consistently picks great stuff in my opinion. This wine poured out a heady floral ripe aroma before I even got it out of the glass, and once in the glass, just gorgeous. You'll think I'm exaggerating but I'm not - this wine could compete nose-wise with many a young Puligny that I know. It's that intense, with lemon oils and rocky minerals and ripe stone fruit somewhere in there. An amazing nose, and the palate is great too, with great balance and richness, and a bit of saline minerality. There is a crystalline tension here, and good acidity - this stuff is energetic, and it goes great with food. We had it with potato leek soup and everything harmonized perfectly. Again, I got mine at Prospect Wine Shop, but check for it near you. You could always contact Rosenthal if you had too.

Looking forward to your Silver Burgundy choices.