I don’t have too much to report for this week’s winesday but, for the sake of posterity, I’m going to anyway. Last night, I opened up a bottle of wine that Robert bought me for my birthday: 2005 Claude Lafond La Raie Reuilly. Remembering that Sancerre is one of my favorite wine regions, he went off the beaten path and bought a wine from a neighboring region, Reuilly. Isn’t he clever? I’m terrible at remembering little things about people and inevitably end up getting them gifts straight off of their amazon.com wish lists, but I digress. Reuilly and Sancerre are both appellations in the Loire Valley in France and both are known for their bone dry Sauvignon Blancs. Reuilly wines are said to be a bit more floral and fruity than the wines from Sancerre. Claude Lafond produces several different Reuilly wines, mostly Sauvignon Blanc but also some Pinot Noir. La Raie, which means “the line,” is his most traditional Sauvignon Blanc.

Naturally, given its proximity to Sancerre, I really liked this wine. It was very citrusy (mostly lime) yet it was also quite robust and full-tasting, much more so than I expected. It didn’t have the zing that Sancerre is known for, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. This is not a Sancerre, it is a Reuilly; perhaps less zingy, more full-bodied wines are simply the style of Reuilly. Sometimes, people describe a wine as being oily, and I think I experienced that with this wine. It felt like it coated my mouth, causing the flavor to last longer which was nice. With its stronger flavor, it reminded me more of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (another one of my favorites!) For dinner, I kept things very simple. I just steamed some clams in wine and garlic and tossed them with pasta and had a simple salad on the side. A simple but perfect meal.