Three ‘Goldilocks’ wines

WINES can be out of kilter for many reasons. If they don’t have enough acidity they are flabby and if they have too much, then they are sharp.

If a wine is too fruity it is a ‘fruit-bomb’ and can taste confected but if there isn’t enough fruit it can be described as austere. And too much oak influence, particularly in a white wine, is one of the worst sins of all.

I like to think all the wines I include in this column are balanced to a degree but the following are ‘Goldilocks’ wines, three whites that are just right. In my book (the one I haven’t written yet), a wine must be balanced; it is key.

The vignerons of Bordeaux often blend sauvignon blanc and semillon to achieve balance, the two grapes are complementary. A good example of this is Château Bel-Air Perponcher Blanc Réserve 2013, which has a little muscadelle in the blend also.

Crisp and fresh, it has subtle grassy flavours of lime with floral, herbal and mineral notes along the way.

English wines can sometimes be a little too crisp but Chapel Down Flint Dry 2013 is spot on. It’s a light summer breeze of a wine, dry, fresh and clean tasting with a slightly creamy texture. A blend of grapes including bacchus, huxelrebe and schönburger, it suggests flavours of lemon, orchard fruits and white flowers, with some ‘flinty’ notes also.

Or for a wine with a little more richness, try Paul Mas Vignes de Nicole Chardonnay-Viognier 2013 which features in the 2014 Sud de France Top 100 list.

Both grape varieties shine through in this blend, with flavours of tropical fruit, apricot, citrus, some perfumed notes and a lightly buttery mouth-feel. It is judiciously oaked, adding complexity but not overpowering the fruit.
 

Château Bel-Air Perponcher Blanc Réserve 2013, £8.95 from The Wine Society 17/20

Chapel Down Flint Dry 2013, £9.99 from chapeldown.com, £10.99 from Majestic 17/20

Paul Mas Vignes de Nicole Chardonnay-Viognier 2013, £9.34 (when you buy two) at Majestic 18/20