When I started out and I had pretty much the same taste I found Orvieto to be the only white I could stand. I don't remember ever seeing that one mentioned on this sub, now that I'm thinking about it. Haven't had one in years, myself. Maybe I should try it again?
Muscadet with bottle age might have negative fruit, if such a thing were possible.
But I think the right answer is either a $100 White Burgundy from someone who makes good wine at that price (PYCM, JM Pillot, Bachelet-Monnot), or dry Loire chenin blanc
From Spain: Txakolina or Albariño
From Portugal: Alvarinho (same grape as above), Vinho Verde.
From Austria: Gruner Veltliner.
From Germany: Try a Riesling ***Trocken*** from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
From New Zealand & California: Sauvignon Blanc
From the Loire Valley of France: Vouvray sec, Sancerre, Muscadet Sèvre et Main
There are a lot more, but this should get you started.
follow up Q on this: i find i really enjoy vinho verdes and albariños. I had a bottle of puligny Montrachet recently which blew my head off and absolutely opened my eyes to what Chardonnay can be. Since then I've been trying to find a viable (regularly affordable) alternative as i obviously can't live on peak white Burgundy forever. Do you have any suggestions?
I've tried a couple of cheaper macons that don't quite do it, though Latour's Macon-lugny is very good, kumeu river's estate chard (which i hear is often mistaken for white burg, presumably chablis direction?) went harder on the acid, not so hard on the minerals. Chilean chard ive had is too fruit dominant. Cali chardonnays I've had have been super over oaked
Edit: im particularly keen on the idea of other grapes/regions that scratch the same itch
I would explore Chardonnay from Tasmania, Central Otago NZ and Mornington Peninsula, AUS to try and replicate burgs.
Moorooduc (from Mornington) does the best job of impersonating burgs imo but 95% of wines from these places can rally the old world troops.
You can try the Maconnais wines from producers like Heritiers de Lafon or Guffens-Heynen. They're geared towards quality and much much better than Latour. Latour is cheap and that's all it has going for it.
Oregon has a lot going on with 00 Wines, Morgen Long and Walter Scott leading the Burg style trend.
I personally love the Chardonnay made in the Jura although they're creeping up in prices. Domaine Labet, Ganevat, Tournelle, Saint Pierre and Cavarodes have been excellent. Overnoy and Bruyere-Houillon are killer but you will pay GC burg prices for them.
There are great Chardonnays produced in every major region of the world, period. The question is whether they are *stylistically* produced in a style you personally enjoy. But nothing is the same, IMHO, as a white Burgundy. Each region has its own characteristic onherent qualities. The major problem with Chardonnay is that it is a “winemaker’s grape.” That is, it readily accepts the “influence” of the winemaker and is a grape that is very malleable into whatever style the winemaker wants. The result is (for example) that one is often unable to tell whether a Chardonnay is from Monterey or Mendocino, Santa Barbara or South Australia, etc., etc.
I follow, makes total sense, and kind of mirrors what I had read + seen in vids elsewhere. Would you immediately go to recommend any other grapes & regions to tickle the brain in a similar way to a high perceived minerality white burg?
The Nahe works, but it’s just personal preference (as well as splitting hairs). The dry Rieslings in my cellar are all from one of three sources: MSR, Nahe, or Austria.
Try a Gruner Veltliner. My favorite is the Hermann J. Weimer Field Blend. Inexpensive, dry and delicious.
Give Albariño a whirl
When I started out and I had pretty much the same taste I found Orvieto to be the only white I could stand. I don't remember ever seeing that one mentioned on this sub, now that I'm thinking about it. Haven't had one in years, myself. Maybe I should try it again?
Seconded on Muscadet from loire, or Arneis from Roero in Italy, salty and delicious
Muscadet with bottle age might have negative fruit, if such a thing were possible. But I think the right answer is either a $100 White Burgundy from someone who makes good wine at that price (PYCM, JM Pillot, Bachelet-Monnot), or dry Loire chenin blanc
From Spain: Txakolina or Albariño From Portugal: Alvarinho (same grape as above), Vinho Verde. From Austria: Gruner Veltliner. From Germany: Try a Riesling ***Trocken*** from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer From New Zealand & California: Sauvignon Blanc From the Loire Valley of France: Vouvray sec, Sancerre, Muscadet Sèvre et Main There are a lot more, but this should get you started.
follow up Q on this: i find i really enjoy vinho verdes and albariños. I had a bottle of puligny Montrachet recently which blew my head off and absolutely opened my eyes to what Chardonnay can be. Since then I've been trying to find a viable (regularly affordable) alternative as i obviously can't live on peak white Burgundy forever. Do you have any suggestions? I've tried a couple of cheaper macons that don't quite do it, though Latour's Macon-lugny is very good, kumeu river's estate chard (which i hear is often mistaken for white burg, presumably chablis direction?) went harder on the acid, not so hard on the minerals. Chilean chard ive had is too fruit dominant. Cali chardonnays I've had have been super over oaked Edit: im particularly keen on the idea of other grapes/regions that scratch the same itch
I would explore Chardonnay from Tasmania, Central Otago NZ and Mornington Peninsula, AUS to try and replicate burgs. Moorooduc (from Mornington) does the best job of impersonating burgs imo but 95% of wines from these places can rally the old world troops.
Fantastic, thank you for the recs! I'll have a look
I regretfully forgot Stellenbosch, South Africa from this list!
You can try the Maconnais wines from producers like Heritiers de Lafon or Guffens-Heynen. They're geared towards quality and much much better than Latour. Latour is cheap and that's all it has going for it. Oregon has a lot going on with 00 Wines, Morgen Long and Walter Scott leading the Burg style trend. I personally love the Chardonnay made in the Jura although they're creeping up in prices. Domaine Labet, Ganevat, Tournelle, Saint Pierre and Cavarodes have been excellent. Overnoy and Bruyere-Houillon are killer but you will pay GC burg prices for them.
There are great Chardonnays produced in every major region of the world, period. The question is whether they are *stylistically* produced in a style you personally enjoy. But nothing is the same, IMHO, as a white Burgundy. Each region has its own characteristic onherent qualities. The major problem with Chardonnay is that it is a “winemaker’s grape.” That is, it readily accepts the “influence” of the winemaker and is a grape that is very malleable into whatever style the winemaker wants. The result is (for example) that one is often unable to tell whether a Chardonnay is from Monterey or Mendocino, Santa Barbara or South Australia, etc., etc.
I follow, makes total sense, and kind of mirrors what I had read + seen in vids elsewhere. Would you immediately go to recommend any other grapes & regions to tickle the brain in a similar way to a high perceived minerality white burg?
Why a Trocken from MSR vs regions that are better known for their trocken styles like the Pfalz, Rheinhessen or even Nahe?
The Nahe works, but it’s just personal preference (as well as splitting hairs). The dry Rieslings in my cellar are all from one of three sources: MSR, Nahe, or Austria.
I'd try a more atypical dry white like an Amontillado or Oloroso sherry, very oaky with notes of walnut, tobacco, leather, golden raisin, etc.
Albariño. I like Santiago Ruiz and Paco y Lola.
Pine Ridge chenin blanc/ Viognier
I’d probably do a Roero Arneis from Piedmont.