Bourboulenc is to white Chateauneuf what Counoise is to red Chateauneuf: a permitted variety, planted in small quantity, ignored by the chain retail world. It ripens late, hangs on the vine well into October, and produces wines with high acid, restrained alcohol, and a small honeyed note that emerges only after a year or two in bottle. We work with a Southern California grower who farms about three acres of it.
Why it survived
The grape held on through the twentieth century because it makes the difference in a white Chateauneuf blend. The blend without it can taste flat; the blend with it has lift. A few traditional producers in southern France kept Bourboulenc blocks alive for this reason. The varietal bottling of Bourboulenc is rare anywhere in the world.
Why our grower planted it
Heat tolerance, again. The grower wanted a white that could ripen slowly in Southern California's long warm season without losing acid. Bourboulenc's hanging tolerance lets the grower pick on flavor rather than panic-pick on sugar. The wine that results has lemon, white peach, a small note of crushed seashell, and the kind of acidity that holds across an entire meal.
Pairing
The wine carries seafood, raw shellfish, light olive-oil-driven Mediterranean cooking, and surprisingly well, soft cheeses. We have served it at club tastings with raw oysters from Carlsbad and the pairing is one of the best we have on the list.