Walking the Chalk Line

Today's white wine is destined to become a summer staple in your home. We think you'll understand why in a moment. It all starts with story time. Let's go!

Picture this.

A very clever winemaker is hanging out with a pal in a chalk-covered vineyard in the Loire Valley. It's a beautiful day, the vines are a brilliant green hue, and his friend decides to bust out a profound word bomb.

"Fruit in a wine is easy. Purity is elusive."

Hmmmm. That's quite beautiful.

"It comes from the struggle of the vine's roots through the rocks it is planted on, it comes from the fight against every other plant vying for the same water and nutrients, and it comes from the plant learning to fight for itself and not having man fights its battles."

Well, yes. We do like a wine with enough oomph to stand up for itself rather than hide behind a winemaker's crafty bag of tricks. There are terms used for this type of wine. You'll hear phrases bandied about like "natural wine" or terms like "minimal intervention" or "unmanipulated." You might even hear "unfined and unfiltered" particularly if you read influential wine critics such as Robert Parker. In other words, we're talking about PURITY and it makes a big difference in wine.

We often advise our clients to pay attention to importers when selecting wine. There are certain names which are synonymous with elegance, style and outstanding quality. There are even importers who exclusively represent wines that are guaranteed to ooze purity. Jon David Headrick is one of these importers. You should definitely remember his name. We think it will serve you well.

Here's why. Headrick fell in love with a massive swath of chalk and slate running from the Atlantic ocean all the way through the Loire Valley and into Champagne. In the wine business it's known as the CHALK LINE. Wine nerds the world over geek out about various aspects of the chalk line, such as the finer distinct aspects of vines grown in Kimmeridgian soil.

Rather than ask you to recall esoteric facts from your college geology class, we've decided to ditch the super technical data and simplify this discussion. All you need to know is the chalk line produces wines of extraordinary purity, minerality and elegance, just like today's gem.

It's called Domaine de la Fruitiere Vignes Blanches 2014 and it's from the Loire Valley.

The vines for our white blend are grown in sheer cliffs of rock through which the roots have to bury for meters in order to access any hydric source. They literally have to fight for their little lives which is very good news for you. It's often true that the harsher the conditions in which vines grow, the better the wine. It's therefore not a stretch to understand that wines grown in the Loire Valley are often awash with the smells and tastes of rocks and minerals rather than being fruit and flower dominant. Trust us, this is a good thing, particularly if you're a fan of oysters, shellfish and fish.

So combine all this cool stuff with the cold Atlantic breezes in the Loire Valley and you've got an amazing cool climate, high cut, precise bottle of white wine. Oh, before we forget, did we happen to mention today's wine is a slam dunk bargain?

Domaine de la Fruitiere Vignes Blanches 2014

This delicious Loire Valley white wine is a blend of 50% Melon de Bourgogne (the grape in Muscadet), 30% Chardonnay and 20% Sauvignon Blanc from granite and gneiss hillsides in Chateau-Thebaud. It's fermented and aged in tank for at least five months before release and that's about it. This wine is highly aromatic and crisp with great minerality. Enjoy it with oysters, seafood and salads or just on its own. It's a really fresh little number.

Now it's time for the big news. Perhaps you better sit down. The everyday price of this delicious white wine is a jaw dropping $12.99/bottle. Include it in a mixed case of wine and it further discounts to just $10.39/bottle. See what we meant about a screaming bargain?

This wine is absolutely begging to be served to your endless stream of summer company.

But wait, there's more. We were just talking about how much we love this wine and this very minute we decided to get a little crazy. Order a solid case before the end of June for just $108/12 pack case ($9/bottle).

This special offer expires at the end of the month so you have just 18 days to stock up on one of the best bargains around in white wine.

Enjoy!

* Wine & Spirit Education Trust Certified *

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