The Head Chef and I came across a good sample of a summer wine this week. A wine that we could clearly imagine drinking chilled on the back terrace of the hotel and on a sunny afternoon…. Just like the Mercurey 1er Cru from the Domaine Michel Juillot which I used for our Saturday wine tasting session, the Rully “Les Thivaud” 2007, is made by the same producer in the Côte Chalonnaise, south of the Burgundy region in France. The producer never deceives me and the “Terroir” is always well translated into his wines. Although the vineyards cover more than 30 hectares, they still harvest it entirely by hand which is rare for this size in Burgundy. This white wine is made from 100% Chardonnay of course. The nose was very appealing with a mix of flower aromas(camomile & jasmine), melon and hints of slate. On the palate we found a great refreshing acidity blended with some strong fruity characters which gives a vibrant style. Melon, pear, confit lemon, orange zest with hints of oak. The wine shows intense sour flavours with a light body and a mineral dust feel. I shall add it to the list very soon…