I woke up this morning with a searing pain in my head and a grogginess that I just couldn't shake. Nothing, not Advil, not coffee, not vitamins, nothing could clear the pain from my head. All I could think of in my morning of hell was, "Damn that Montvac!" You see, the 2006 Domaine de Montvac, Vacqueyras Blanc is the reason for my suffering. I drank way too much of this wine last night at Church & State, but I just couldn't help myself. I've had this wine on my list at AOC in the past, but had forgotten just how good it is.
I don't just love this wine for the fact that it is a female-owned and operated estate. It happens to be a great wine. Cécile Dussere, the third generation woman owner and winemaker blends Clairette, Roussanne, Bourboulenc and Viognier into this rich and aromatic white. She co-ferments the grapes and leaves them on their lees in oak barrels for eight months before bottling. You can imagine the resulting richness that this method achieves. The four varieties in this wine are completely complementary to one another lending aromatics and structure, creaminess and acidity all at once. The more etherial notes of baking spices and honey are balanced by the wine's clean minerality and stone fruit background. It manages to be full and round without feeling heavy or cloying.
It is incredibly versatile, pairing perfectly with rich and fatty foods as well as light and bright dishes. We actually drank it with five different appetizers that spanned the food globe from marrow bones and pork rillettes to smoky herring and frisée lardon salad. I enjoyed this wine so much that I felt the need to hoard it, to drink my first glass quickly so that I could pour myself a little more, and again a little more. Luckily for me, we had ordered the restaurant's last bottle. Lord knows how I would feel if I had gotten my hands on another glass...or two.
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