A couple of weeks ago (Week Q (2015)) we tried a wine form the central vineyards of the Loire valley made from Sauvignon Blanc. It came from Quincy and I made a comment that it was good value compared to its famous neighbour, Sancerre.
Yet two weeks later I find myself tasting exactly that, but not for twice the price or more, as I had predicted, but for a mere £1.50 extra (although it was 'reduced' from £15.49). So let's taste it and decide whether it justifies its reduced 15% premium, or would it even stretch to the full 55%?
Week S (2015) Sancerre. Les Marennes, 2014. Waitrose £11.49.
My first impressions were that it had a very light aroma, so light I wondered if my nasal polyps were striking back, in fact. They are, but that's a different story.
It looked lovely. All bright and shiny, with gentle lemon hues. It was a nicely chilled partner for a Wimbledon evening (TV), and was sipped away while the ladies with unpronounceable names bashed away from the baseline and let fly with a variety of farmyard noises.
It was rather elegant. The Sancerre that is, not the agricultural chorus emanating from the All England Club, but had an intensity of flavour that the nose had not led me to expect. Polyps or not, there was definitely a difference. The flavours were strongly citrus, but moderated by grassy or herbal overtones.
It is quite high in acid, as a young Sauvignon Blanc should be, but like the Quincy not so in your face as the Kiwis can be.
It is made in what Waitrose seem proud to inform us is 'the appellation's only cooperative cellar', but I'm not sure what that is really intended to convey. Certainly I think this is a well made wine and I do prefer it to the Quincy, mostly because it does seem to have a slightly smoother richness about it, so perhaps knowledge of its birthplace may for some challenge the assumption that cooperative cellars necessarily produce inferior wines to those which are mis-en-bouteille au chateau, as they say.
To get back to the original question. Is it worth £1.50 more than Week Q's Quincy? Yes. Would I want to pay the 'full price'? Not really, but I might.
It has been an interesting test of my own assumptions, too, as I now no longer believe quite so clearly that famous appellations, at least this famous appellation, always expects its customers to pay more just for the name.
Yet two weeks later I find myself tasting exactly that, but not for twice the price or more, as I had predicted, but for a mere £1.50 extra (although it was 'reduced' from £15.49). So let's taste it and decide whether it justifies its reduced 15% premium, or would it even stretch to the full 55%?
Week S (2015) Sancerre. Les Marennes, 2014. Waitrose £11.49.My first impressions were that it had a very light aroma, so light I wondered if my nasal polyps were striking back, in fact. They are, but that's a different story.
It looked lovely. All bright and shiny, with gentle lemon hues. It was a nicely chilled partner for a Wimbledon evening (TV), and was sipped away while the ladies with unpronounceable names bashed away from the baseline and let fly with a variety of farmyard noises.
It was rather elegant. The Sancerre that is, not the agricultural chorus emanating from the All England Club, but had an intensity of flavour that the nose had not led me to expect. Polyps or not, there was definitely a difference. The flavours were strongly citrus, but moderated by grassy or herbal overtones.
It is quite high in acid, as a young Sauvignon Blanc should be, but like the Quincy not so in your face as the Kiwis can be.
It is made in what Waitrose seem proud to inform us is 'the appellation's only cooperative cellar', but I'm not sure what that is really intended to convey. Certainly I think this is a well made wine and I do prefer it to the Quincy, mostly because it does seem to have a slightly smoother richness about it, so perhaps knowledge of its birthplace may for some challenge the assumption that cooperative cellars necessarily produce inferior wines to those which are mis-en-bouteille au chateau, as they say.
To get back to the original question. Is it worth £1.50 more than Week Q's Quincy? Yes. Would I want to pay the 'full price'? Not really, but I might.
It has been an interesting test of my own assumptions, too, as I now no longer believe quite so clearly that famous appellations, at least this famous appellation, always expects its customers to pay more just for the name.
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