Has the summer so far been too much rosé and aromatic white? Maybe it is time to look for white wines with “structure”. But what is “structure”? Well, these are wines that do not live on their aromatic character but more on their mouth feel and body. They can have a touch of astringency, are often full-bodied with some “fatness”, notes of yellow fruits, more tactile than perfumed, good acidity, often more flavour the palate than fragrance on the nose, and a long aftertaste. We often talk about “structure wines” as opposed to aromatic wines. Try these recommendations and you’ll see. If you don’t find these particular wines, look for the regions and the grape varieties.
La Colombera 2021, Derthona, Colli Tortonesi, Piedmont, ~22 euro. The grape is the magnificent timorasso. Unusual, but Italy’s best white grape.
Château Rahoul 2019, Graves, Bordeaux, ~18 euro. Sauvignon blanc is taking over more and more in Bordeaux, but here the fuller and more characterful sémillon dominates.
Côtes du Jura Chardonnay 2021, Maison Rijckaert, ~18 euro. Chardonnay in the Jura is full-bodied and quite different from Burgundy.
Domaine de Montcy Licorne 2020, Cour-Cheverny, Loire Valley, ~30 euro. The very rare romorantin is a stellar grape in the Loire. Planted only in the Cour-Cheverny appellation in Touraine.
Vouvray Domaine Des Lauriers 2022, Vouvray, Loire Valley, ~15 euro. Chenin blanc is a must if you like full-bodied and very fresh white wines.
Le Grill Mas Cristine Blanc 2018, Côtes du Roussillon, ~15 euro. Roussillon’s white grapes give wines with a lovely mouthfeel and some fatness. Here we have vermentino, grenache blanc and macabeu.
The Grapesmith Mediterraneo 2020, Simonsig, Stellenbosch, South Africa, ~20 euro. A Southern French blend with a little help from Portugal. Roussanne and marsanne dominate and are complemented by grenache blanc, verdelho and bourboulenc.
