I recently opened a bottle of 2003 Philippe Delesvaux “Grains Nobles”. The wine is from the Loire Valley and the wine maker, Philippe Delesvaux pours his heart and soul into his wine.
The grapes he used for this wine, Chenin Blanc, are hand-picked and averaging 40 years of age, planted to soils containing sedimentary rock, slate and coal.
I can be weary of sweet wines – many of them bring me back to my college days and overly sweet (and dangerous) cocktails. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this wine.
The wine was garnet in color, with a nose of brown sugar, maple syrup and honey. The palette was reminiscent of strawberries, honey and was very fruity.
The wine also had a very nice aftertaste, always leaving me to want another sip. It was the perfect end to my sunny afternoon at the beach, and was a great substitute for actual dessert.
It was also a nice contrast to the Silex Noir Vouvray I had enjoyed earlier in my journey through France.
The Splendid Grape 