WBW 24: Looking for Loire Whites in Tokyo

When I noticed the call to drink Loire whites for Wine Blogging Wednesday 24 posted on Vinography, it occurred to me that I hadn’t imbibed a wine, white or otherwise, from the Loire Valley since coming to Japan. While pricey Bordeaux and Burgundy have remained immensely popular despite the bursting of Japan’s economic bubble, your average Hitoshi or Makiko does not seem to share the same enthusiasm for Loire wines. Almost every large retailer features an intimidating display of Bordeaux whites and reds, the high-shouldered bottles forming a phalanx and confronting consumers head-on; however, those in search of a Sancerre or Touraine, will have to do just that – search – for these lonely soldiers sometimes tucked away in spare nooks.

I was disappointed to find that the situation at the Shinjuku Isetan, a famous Tokyo department store reputed to carry a wide selection of French wines, was no different. Predictably, Bordeaux dominated about 1/2 of the wall dedicated to French wine and a great deal of the refrigerated back room. Burgundy occupied around 3/8ths of the remaining space, and the last 1/8 was allotted to “other French”. Among these little orphans were exactly three Loire whites: two Sancerres and a Pouilly-Fume (I’d missed the two Vouvrays because they were over in the “organic” section), not a single one under 2300 yen, or $20. When I asked the clerk if there were any others, she rushed to the back room and brought out one more Pouilly-Fume from 1997, priced at 6300 yen. For once, I didn’t have to rely on my bad Japanese to convey a response. My eyes said it all, and the clerk smiled politely and returned the bottle to the dark corner from whence it came.

Irritable from elbowing my way through an exceptionally crowded Shinjuku in the heat, I was in no mood to schlep my sweaty self to a specialty wine shop, so I settled on the Henri Bourgeois 2003 Pouilly-Fume for 2800 yen. Knowing that JP, returning shell-shocked from a week of appalling food in a Sendai business hotel, would be making his specialty of seared tuna and pasta in an anchovy-lime sauce with olives, a little garlic, and a dash of chili, I wanted something that would have the acidity to stand up to the tartness of the sauce, but with depth of character to work with the darker flavors of anchovy, olive, and chili. This is a tricky dish and has defeated many a wine in the past, but I was hoping that we’d be lucky this time.


First, we tried the wine on its own. It was a golden-hay color, giving off the scent of unripe green apples and just a touch of citrus. The refreshing acidity caught my attention immediately, then gave way to a fruity middle that blossomed into a full, round finish that demonstrated deeper flavors. I am tempted to include “smokiness” in my description, but I can’t be completely sure I detected it per se.

Happily, the Bourgeois also worked really nicely with the food. It neither overpowered, nor was overpowered by it. Several New World Sauvignon Blancs have proved too fruity and intractable for this dish, but this wine became less fruity, more floral, and mellower as we ate with it.

All in all, it was quite pleasant, but 2800 yen is a bit more than we usually pay for a casual weekend wine, so I doubt we’ll drink it regularly. It did, however, pique my interest in Loire Valley whites, and I’ll definitely be looking in all those improbable hiding places - the dark corners, nooks and crannies - for them in the future.