01 Feb Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Bodegas Henri Lurton 2020 Chenin Centenario, Valle de San Vicente, Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico

Our girls’ weekend last weekend was a chance to travel with friends and have a fun, relaxing weekend. We selected Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California and drove down for the weekend. While our intention was not to focus on wine, as wine writers and wine lovers, we enjoyed a number of wines from Valle de Guadalupe. We visited a few wineries and enjoyed wines with our dinners. On our first night, we selected a bottle of Chenin Blanc to pair with our meal at Animalón by Chef Javier Plascencia. And, while we drank lots of good wine over the weekend, it was that first wine that stood out to me. That is why the Bodegas Henri Lurton 2020 Chenin Centenario, Valle de San Vicente, Baja California, Mexico is the Please The Palate wine of the week.

About Bodegas Henri Lurton

The Lurton name is not an unfamiliar name. Based in Bordeaux, the Lurton family has been making wine for generations and today has more than 30 wine projects around the world. Henri Lurton is the owner of the Grand Cru Classé Chateau Brane-Cantenac in Margaux. With his sons Vincent and Nicolas, they came to Baja California in 2015. Convinced by the potential of the region, they have made a significant investment. And, unlike Bordeaux where there are rules and regulations, Baja California offers an opportunity to experiment and to try ideas. The same grapes grown in France will be different when grown in Mexico because of the terroir and weather.

Tasting Notes

The Chenin Blanc is made from grapes that come from a hundred year old vines. The grapes were pressed and fermented in new French oak barrels and aged on the less for 10 months. The wine had a beautiful nose with notes of white flowers, citrus, hazelnut, minerality, and a touch of honey. On the palate, the wine was elegant with a creamy midpalate and vibrant acidity.

Food Pairing

The acidity and texture of the wine made it a perfect wine to pair with a number of dishes. We enjoyed it with Crispy Brussel Sprouts (with Fresno chili, peanut sauce, crispy onion, and lime), a Little Gem salad (with tahini and herb dressing, pickled pear, dill, crispy sesame, and Gran Padano), and Blue Fin Tuna Tartare (with fermented chili, charred cucumber, Asian pear, and furikake). We also enjoyed the wine with Roasted Cauliflower (with sikil-pak, pickled onion, grilled dates, za’atar, and naan bread) and Smoked + Grilled Chicken (with garlic hummus, feta and nopal salad, tzatziki, and naan)

Where to Purchase

If you travel to Valle de Guadalupe, you can make an appointment to visit Bodegas Henri Lurton. But Bodgas Henri Lurton wines are imported into the US by La Competencia Imports and the wines can be found in California , DC, Maryland, Virginia, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, New Jersey, and Texas, as well as in Las Vegas, Nashville, Reno, Chicago, and El Paso.