Wine: 1998 Sauvignon de Saint-Bris, Cuvée Unique

Producer: Domaine Alice et Olivier De Moor (Chablis)

Comment: I thought it would be fun to do something completely different this week, as this wine is a white Burgundy that is not made from Chardonnay, Aligoté or Pinot Blanc but rather Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp, clean and fairly grassy fruit with bright aromas of wet hay and wet stones that give way to medium weight, zesty and quite pure flavors offering good persistence and fine length. The acidity is ripe but tangy and this will cut through most foods and sauces like a hot knife through butter; that said, the wine is elegantly balanced and downright delicious, in the best sense of that word. This drinks like a cross between a Loire Sauvignon Blanc and a classic Chablis though the grassy aromas are less pronounced and the green, edgy fruit of a typical Chablis is more subdued. In short, it drinks exactly like what it is, which is to say a Sauvignon Blanc grown in the chalky soils of Chablis. This can already be drunk with pleasure though it will easily reward 3 to 5 years of cellar time. A great value for what it is. 88/2003-6

U.S. Importer: North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA

Suggested Price: $20 (you can expect to pay $14 to $17)

Important Note: Burghound.com has no financial relationship of any kind with Domaine De Moor, or with North Berkeley Imports.

Each week we feature a different Burgundy. While there will be a mix of vintages, most wines featured will be those that can normally be found at a variety of fine wine retailers. Each wine will be described and rated with a suggested window of peak drinkability indicated after the numerical score. Prices shown are estimated retail in the U.S., but prices do of course vary widely depending on the retailer.