WOTW: Château La Tour de L'Evêque Blanc de Blancs 2014

Family legacies : spiritual, emotional and (more often than not) positive experiences/values that get passed down from parents to their children and grandchildren.  When a winery has a long history, deep roots, and a true passion and belief in what they do, you would be hard pressed not to find quality and love in what they produce.  

Since 1933 the Sumeire family has been making beautiful wines from their Château La Tour de l’Evêque and Château Le Tour Sainte Anne estates in Provence, France. Gabriel Sumeire bought his first wine estate in 1922, and as the plots and his reputation grew, he wanted his family to be sure the vines would be well taken care of long after he was gone.  His son Roger took the reins to expand the vineyards, and today his daughter Régine Sumeire continues with the family’s legacy of crafting excellent wines from both estates. The passion for making wine was passed down to her from both her father and grandfather, and it is the values, work ethic, and love for the vines that is the driving force behind her work today.  

Photo: EnRoute Air Canada

As I taste the Blancs des blancs, I think about the family’s dedication to their work.  A team of people who have to make countless decisions every day to do the best they can with any number of things that can be thrown at them every day.  I think about the relationship and the Sumeire family must have had with their father and how their part of their family values is pleasing people all around the world with their wine.  Isn’t that the one of the objectives of most winemakers? 

It is the perfect anytime wine.  It is lively and retains a lot of bright freshness but still has a silky mouthfeel with expressive fruit and underlying saltiness that is just so satisfying and appealing.    

Medium lemon on the glass, the wine has beautiful aromas of perfumed white flowers, citrus, and the sea. Its core is made of waxy honey and ripe pear.  The complexity creates a gorgeous bouquet of everything that is good in life in one glass.  Dry, bright acidity, light and airy on the palate, yet silky, and medium bodied.  The candied lemon, touch of honey and warm ripe pear balances well with the chalky and salty minerality. Persistent finish.  

It’s a little bit of everything together that makes this wine so good and balanced. Much like the Sumeire family and their team; each person puts their own drop of goodness into the mix and the result are quality wines made in a brilliant, ethical, and loving way.  

Please do take a look at their website and read more about this lovely family and their portfolio of wines.

Wine: Château la Tour de L'Evêque 2014 Blanc des Blancs
Grapes: Rolle (67%), Sémillion (33%)
Alcohol: 13.5%
SAQ Code: 00972604
Price: $21.00
Agent: Charton Hobbs

www.toureveque.com
www.chartonhobbs.com