Our Wine Advent-ure: Day 19

Today marks the end of the third week of sampling wines from our Advent Wine Calendar.

Yesterday, we sampled the 19th wine in the 24-bottle package: Ciel Bleu, a white blend from the Côtes de Gascogne wine region, located in southwestern France. The area benefits from a maritime climate influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees Mountains.


This wine is a blend of 70 percent Colombard, 20 percent Gros Manseng and 10 percent Ugni Blanc.

Vineyards thrive in the region's sandy clay-limestone soils, which contribute to the wines' distinct character. Because of the composition of the soil and the French limits on irrigation in vineyards, these wines have a minerality that tasting notes say pairs well with a variety of dishes from seafood and salads to poultry and cheeses.

I picked up some honey or honeysuckle on the nose as well as the palate along with peach notes and some minerality, but generally the wine was thin -- almost watery -- and I imaging it would be overwhelmed by a dish with any heft at all. All in all, not a wine I would reach for again. But you can't win them all. 

Santé!

Visit my main page at TheTravelPro.us for more news, reviews, and personal observations on the world of upmarket travel.

Photo by Carl Dombek
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