My brother-in-law, who is quite the wine hobbyist/enthusiast, is in town visiting. As such, I showed him my recent wine purchases which I obtained at the Ebisu Gardens, Wine Market Store and we picked the 1999 Savennières to swirl.
I was anticipating a semi-sweet wine, but I was forewarned by my brother-in-law that this would be quite the opposite. Situated in the Loire Valley, this Chenin Blanc was a full-body, dry wine. The color was very beautiful -- golden yellow, crystal like hue. Our first sniff had an apple aroma with some wool sweater scent. The first swirl, indeed not sweet at all. Quite dry, and had a wonderful full body texture. We had this wine open for about another hour and the wine really developed. More fruity (hint of Cantaloupes) towards the end and the heat index rose slightly.
Overall, a great wine. I'd recommend opening this one for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. A delicate, yet full body Chenin Blanc, this one is going to get 4 stars.
For those who haven't visited the Wine Market in Ebisu Gardens, I would recommend a visit.
Summary: Dry, full body Chenin Blanc
Rating: 4 Stars
Purchase Cost: Y3,150 (Ebisu Gardens, Wine Market Store)
Other Japanese Retailers: Y3,490
USA Retail Price: $22.95
Food: Cheese and Crackers (Parmesan and red cheddar)
