A Sip of Spring

Written By: Marlene Osteen | Issue: May 2024 | Photograph By: Susan Renfro

Domaine de Trotereau Quincy and Tablas Creek Vineyards Patelin de Tablas Blanc

Springtime on the porch and wine in tall glasses; Muscadet with oysters and Albarino with mussels; Friends laughing and soft mountain breezes. Quincy with ceviche and white Rhone with cheeses; A Chenin Blanc that always pleases.

These are a few of my favorite things – wines that hum of time and place, in every glass a sip of spring.

In the glow of a perfect springtime evening the Nanclares Prieto Dandelion Albarino is a round and polished companion to the stories of life told among friends. A wine that tells tales of its births in Galicia, Spain, with tastes of salt, tantalizing with acidity, as bold and vibrant as its origins

In the stillness of twilight, the Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet wafts softly with a bouquet of ripe pear, lemon, herbs and wildflowers, a hint of iodine and earth. A companion to the dusk and friendly chatter, the wine holds sway with a mouth-watering salty finish and traces of licorice.

In the Domaine de Trotereau Quincy, we find no reticence. A Sauvignon Blanc light and crisp; in its glass a taste of fresh minerals stone and gravel. A light-bodied flavorful personality that tells of fresh air, and sunshine – a wine that dances on the tongue.

Chenin Blanc in hues of gold. The Pascal Janvier Jasnier Cuve du Silex shimmers with a touch of quince and orange and cherry. From every pour, a harmony of sweet and saline, a story of weather and vine and soil. A trance-inducing narrative of the history and vineyards of the Centre Loire in France.

In the heart of central California, in San Luis Obispo in the town of Paso Robles, barrels of the Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas Blanc do rest.

Holding a wine in their wooden chest with complexities that invite and intrigue – a blend of Rhone varietals. On the tongue the journey from vineyard to lips exposed, silky and seamless with a long latent finish.

Details of wines discussed:

Nanclares y Prieto ‘Dandelion’: variety – Albarino. Region: Rias Baixas, Galicia, Spain. Average price: $30

Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet, Sur Lie, ‘La Pepie’: variety – Melon de Bourgogne. Region: Muscadet Sevre et Maine, Loire, France. Average price: $19

Domaine de Trotereau Quincy: variety – Sauvignon Blanc, Region: Quincy, Loire, France. Average price: $28.

Pascal Janvier Jasnieres Cuvee du Silex: variety – Chenin Blanc, Region: Centre Loire, France. Average price: $26.

Tablas Creek Vineyards Patelin de Tablas Blanc: variety – Proprietary blend (Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne) Region: San Luis Obispo County, Paso Robles, California. Average price: $28