Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) Sélection Prestige Bordeaux Blanc (2015) Wine Review

What temperature is the best for storing/serving white wine? I was reminded of this question as I was tasting this week’s Wine Wednesday feature the 2015 Barons de Rothschild (Lefite) Sélection Prestige White Bordeaux.

On Monday night my husband got home before I did and poured a glass that was waiting for me when I arrived. On the nose prominent minerality and subtle floral notes. It had a nice round mouthfeel leaning toward a medium bodied wine with a fresh crisp finish with lingering citrus notes.

White Bordeaux are generally a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Sometimes there is Muscadelle and small amounts of other varietals as part of the blend. This wine is 55% Sauvignon Blanc and 45% Sémillon. On Monday night I enjoyed the best of both varietals. The Sémillon providing the body and the floral notes and the Sauvignon Blanc, the crisp finish with citrus notes.

On Tuesday night, it was another story. You see, my husband put the unfinished bottle in the refrigerator on Monday night. When I got home Tuesday evening, the wine had seemingly lost its floral notes and only minerality lingered on the tongue.  The mouthfeel had lost its body. Had the wine gone bad?  No, I just wished my husband had put it in the wine fridge where the temps for white wine are set at about 50 degrees.

Depending on the wine, the optimum serving temperature can vary. In fact, you may notice that same labels indicate the winemakers’ recommendation for serving temperature. Most refrigerators are set between 35 – 40 degrees Fahrenheit which in my opinion is too cold for wine. The cold temperatures mask the nuances and in a sense the wine seems locked and bland. Often, white wines that are of less quality are served extra cold to mask their shortcomings. Thankfully, allowing the wine to warm a bit brought the wine back to life and allowed us to enjoy it with Clams alla Puttanesca (use some in the recipe). Click the link below to print or save the recipe.

Clams alla Puttanesca