{"product_id":"chateau-couhins-pessac-leognan-blanc-1990","title":"Chateau Couhins Pessac-Léognan Blanc 1990","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChâteau Couhins lies in the Pessac-Léognan appellation just south of Bordeaux, in the Graves, the gravel-and-sand country that is the original home of the region's dry whites. Couhins was ranked a Cru Classé de Graves for its white in the 1959 classification, a short list of the appellation's finest white terroirs. The vineyard sits on gravel over clay and limestone, soils that drain hard and push the vines deep, and its white grapes come off cooler sand-and-gravel parcels that favor aromatic, high-acid Sauvignon. This is white-wine terroir first and foremost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA Sauvignon-based dry white from one of Pessac-Léognan's classified white-wine estates, now thirty-five years old and very much alive. 1990 was one of Bordeaux's great modern vintages, a hot, sunny, ripe year, and that warmth shows in how the wine has aged: deep golden color and a rich, exotic character of apricot, poached pear, apple cobbler, and a touch of ginger. It is ripe and exotic with plenty of life still left in it, the kind of mature white Bordeaux that surprises people who assume whites do not last. Fully developed and drinking beautifully now.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChâteau Couhins is unusual: since 1968 it has been owned and run by INRAE, formerly INRA, France's national institute for agricultural research. The estate doubles as a working research station, where scientists study viticulture, rootstocks, and winemaking, which means the wines are made with a rigor and attention to detail few commercial properties can match. The land's history reaches back to the 17th century, when Couhins and neighboring Carbonnieux were part of a single large estate south of Bordeaux. Today Couhins is best known for its white, one of the few ranked as a Cru Classé de Graves, made from Sauvignon Blanc with a little Sauvignon Gris.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA rich, mature white with an exotic streak wants food to match. Try roast pork loin with apples, chicken tagine with apricots and almonds, seared scallops in brown butter, or a mild coconut curry. The ripe stone fruit and ginger edge play off sweet-savory and lightly spiced dishes, while the underlying acidity keeps everything fresh. Serve chilled but not cold, in a proper glass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wilkie Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50560396951775,"sku":null,"price":72.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P7140671.jpg?v=1784093364","url":"https:\/\/denverwinemerchant.com\/products\/chateau-couhins-pessac-leognan-blanc-1990","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}