By Arianna Armstrong
Do we still hate France? I mean, do we - as a nation - continue to pursue a collective freedom-fry thing?
I need to know this because I happen to love the French, their politics and attitude notwithstanding. There are three reasons, in particular, why I feel particularly grateful to the boys and girls in berets:
1. French cheese
2. French wine
3. French kisses
My guess is that I don’t have to go into detail about the smoochin. Those long, languorous dances where two people learn about each other’s chemistry and timing in the most intimate way possible while still wearing panties.
And cheese. Ooh la la, the cheese. Everything from rock hard to soft and creamy. The French offer something for everyone in the dairy department, no matter what you’re into. They’ve been doing it and doing it well for a long, long time, and really know how to make stuff to spread on a cracker.
But my focus today is on French wine - specifically Pouilly–Fume from the father and son team of Michel and Thierry Redde, from their La Moynerie estate in the Loire Valley.
Le yum.
The 2007 La Moynerie Pouilly-Fume embodies all of the tres belle things Francais that I adore: The wine is really delicious. It’s lively, vivacious, incredibly well balanced. On the nose, it presents seductive aromas of wet stone, grass and pineapple. On the palette, the La Moynerie is lush and fruity, with hints of the gun flint for which this region is famous. There is a little bit of floral bouquet. There is a nice, crisp acid. There is also a smoothness to the wine, like the rich, French rind cheeses that are a perfect pairing with this Pouilly-Fume.
Wine and Spirits magazine described this wine as “pungent yet balanced and harmonious, lingering with intense fragrance.” If there is a beverage more sensual than wine, I’ve yet to meet it at a bar.
The La Moynerie, with its enticing, fruity fragrance lures one close. The first sip is an exciting surprise – not nearly as sweet as expected, given the aroma. On the tongue, this wine is full of flavor, filling the mouth with a profile that unfolds on the finish. It’s easy to drink, satisfying.
Say what you will about the rest, when it comes to ways to indulge – particularly the mouth, the tongue, the tastebuds – the French are really right on. You can keep the freedom fries, I’ve got more wine to finish.
