Domaine de Pajot “Les Quatre Cépages”, 2008, Cotes De Gascogne

This wine comes from Gascony, a region in southwestern France that is far better known for brandy than wine. The winemaker, Domien Barreau, utilizes sauvignon blanc and three obscure native varietals (ugni blanc, gros-manseng, colombard) to produce the Domaine De Pajot. The color is pale and straw and somewhere between a lighter chardonnay and a typical sauvignon blanc. The nose is reminiscent of a viognier and like walking through the perfume section of department store. There are also whiffs of warm cotton candy, orange marmalade, and candied ginger. The Domaine De Pajot is a light to medium bodied wine. Dried apricot is the dominant fruit on the front end of the palate. It’s definitely got a strong sugary-edge but I still found it pretty unique. There are also hints of rock candy, honeysuckle, and dandelion. A green melon component kicks in on the mid-palate and carries on into the finish. I found that the big dose of residual sugar really hid the acidity and threw the wine slightly off balance. You can pick this up at People’s Food Co-op for less than 10 bucks. It’s a great summer sipper if you don’t mind your whites on the sweet side!