Les Rials 2009

Wine Facts for Les Rials
Grape Varietal: Loin de l'OEil--Sur Lie
Vintage: 2009
Country: France
Region: South-West, Gaillac
Producer: Domaine de la Chanade
Price: $11.99
Place of Purchase: Vintage Wines, Harrisonburg, VA

Additional facts:
Loin de l'OEil is an interesting and rather rare grape varietal. Although it is grown in France, it isn't that popular of a grape varietal. Whereas other grapes have been appropriated world-wide (champagne, etc), this varietal is only grown in France and there are a limited amount of vines. (The proprieter of where we bought the wine estimated about 2,000 vines in total.) Loin de l'OEil translates to "far from the eye" because this varietal is known for extremely long stems, making the grapes "far from" the eye of the plant.  Sur lie means "on the leaves" and refers to how the wine is produced; after the first fermention, Sur lie wine is left in contact with the yeast deposits left from the brewing and bottled immediately thereafter. Basically, Sur lie wines may have a more yeasty aroma and taste thanks to this unique process and the fact that they are not further filtered.

Characteristics of Les Rials
Appearance: pale golden yellow
Bouquet: very pleasant; citrus, fruity, and flowery notes combine for a delightful aroma; peach is prevalent; a light, playful freshness tickles the nose

Adam's Overall Thoughts: 
The Les Rials was an excellent compliment to a light dinner. It was advertized as an ideal summer wine and its refreshing notes were quite welcome on this January night. Not usually a big fan of white wines, its light dance across my taste buds make me want to get another bottle to save for summer.

Cathy's Overall Thoughts:
I loved the bouquet of this wine, but the taste was quite crisp and inviting as well. Initially, a slight sourness interested the tastebuds and delivered some juiciness to what could be labeled a slightly dry wine. As the wine lingered in the mouth, the pert citrus really came to the forefront. I enjoyed this wine but I wasn't bowled over by it. It has a bubbly, unique charm but don't underestimate how much of a punch citrus can pack.
On my scale, it's a 7.87--high for a white and I think a lot of people would also enjoy this wine.  :)

We paired with: Sauteed ocean perch and roasted vegetables
We recommend this: as a summertime selection; with fish, chicken, and light meals

Cheers!