Malcolm Jolley finds an unusual white Burgundy at the LCBO…
William Fèvre Saint-Bris 2018 | $24.95 | LCBO# 626523
The appellation of Saint-Bris is often described as an oddity because it’s the only sub-region of Burgundy where white wine is made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape. And while that’s a mark of distinction, if you look at a map it makes perfect sense. Saint-Bris, like it’s neighbouring appellation Chablis, is a North Burgundian outlier, closer to Paris than Lyon. And, if Google maps is to be trusted, just 100 kms to the east from the twin holy lands of Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre and Pouilly-sur-Loire. So, the William Fèvre Saint-Bris is very much a racy and mineral driven cool climate French Sauvignon Blanc, and it’s elegant and flawless like a well dressed Parisian woman. The flourish to this wine is its unmistakable fruit character, especially on the nose where there is a somewhat confusing, though certainly pleasant, note of blackcurrant, and then limes and citrus on the palate. At $25 the Fèvre Saint-Bris is not cheap, but this is a fancy wine and if you’re going to spend more than $20 on a Friday night bottle I don’t think you could find better value or a more interesting summer sipper.
