The Georges Vigouroux winery in France produces the 2014 Cuvée Joëlle White Blend, a new bottle we received in a recent mail order shipment. It’s new to our house and this blog, and I’m still wrestling with my notes to find something worthwhile to pass along here for anyone who was interested enough to click.

2014 Cuvée Joëlle White Blend, France.

My palate for white wine is very unrefined, and that’s a key limitation when sampling a bottle as layered as the 2014 Cuvée Joëlle. It’s a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (60%) and a grape entirely new to me, the Loin De L’oeil (40%). As I do some reading on the latter, I understand it’s the Loin that gives the wine the vibrancy and balance I tasted. Virtually every review of white wine uses “citrus” in some form to describe the wine, and this one should as well. You definitely get some of that in the Cuvée Joëlle. It’s less about flowers and more about fruit notes–yet still reminds me of when you cut into green flower stalks and get a whiff of their chlorophyl?

I can also tell you it’s not as dry as other Sauv Blancs I’ve had, but more dry than sweet. And I have no clue whatsoever a ‘gooseberry’ is in this importer’s description: “This blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Loin De L’oeil gives flavors of gooseberry and citrus with notes of green.” If that means something to you, then great. Just passing along a possible nugget your way.

Have your own opinion of what it means to order a bulk shipment with no previous expectation with the agent or the wines. Me? I think it a new adventure that exposed me to grapes and wines I would likely stroll past in my local wine store. Wines such as the 2014 Cuvée Joëlle White Blend remind you that it’s good to take Frost’s road every now and again.