This week is the second of the two installments on the wine varieties I tried while tasting in Willamette Valley a couple weeks ago. Gouais Blanc is a parent grape to over eighty grapes including Chardonnay, Auxerrois, Gamay Noir and Aligoté. It is an ancient grape variety, with its earliest written mentions occurring in the mid 16th century. The origins of the grape are still under some debate but it’s believed to either be from northeastern France or southwestern Germany. In German history, Gouais Blanc was historically known as Heunisch. Around the turn of the 17th century, German and French governments gave orders to pull Gouais Blanc vines in favor of planting the more prized Pinot and Savignon vines, especially in optimal vineyard plots. This resulted in a drastic reduction in plantings in France. Over the years, France has banned the variety many times and wines made using the grape are no longer commercially available. Germany also has extremely limited plantings. Switzerland has continuously produced wines with Gouais Blanc since the middle ages. Despite its prolific past, plantings continue to be scarce worldwide. There is also a Gouais Noir, but contrary to what one may think, the grapes are not genetically linked.
While tasting in Willamette, I had a 2022 Björnson Gouais Blanc. Björnson was the first winery in North America to cultivate Gouais Blanc. It was a pale lemon color with long thin legs that appeared as I swirled my glass. Aromas of ripe pineapple, lemon curd, gardenia blossom, viburnum clusters, and wet concrete were coaxed from my glass with minimal effort. On the palate, this dry wine had a high level of acidity. The body was fuller than anticipated due to a higher alcohol content and time spent in mostly neutral oak barrels. Oak barrels are considered neutral after being used for 4 years. When new, oak barrels impart significant character to wine in the form of flavors and varying amounts of tannin. Once used four times, oak barrels no longer infuse additional flavor character but are then used to provide a slow, predictable rate of oxygenation. This helps stabilize wines for prolonged periods of aging, helps soften tannins and increases the texture of the wine. This wine doesn’t contain tannin and won’t be suitable for further aging, but it did create a rounder mouthfeel. The citrus character on the front of the palate was very apparent and consisted of the same lemon curd but joined with lime curd, slightly under ripe white grapefruit and pineapple juices, all with a hint of coconut. It mostly faded to floral notes and wet stone on the finish. The finish didn’t linger too long but my palate was cleansed due to the bright acidity. I really enjoyed this youthful wine and couldn’t help but think of coconut prawns while sipping it. It would also be excellent with creamy cheeses and light seafood.
-TheLooseTannin
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 