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Château La Rame Bordeaux Blanc 2017

I expected the citrus notes when I first sniffed and sipped the Château La Rame Bordeaux Blanc 2017 ($20), but the tropical and stone-fruit aromas and flavors were a delightful surprise. This French white is delightfully fresh and juicy, crisp and clean, a perfect jolt of energy in a Minnesota winter. And the zippy but hearty finish is a stone-cold treat. It's sourced at a vineyard with history, owned by the regional governor, Baron de Vertheuil (can a name get any more French than that?), and the wines produced there garnered gold medals at exhibitions in Bordeaux in 1895 and in Paris in 1900. Bring on the tuna, swordfish and salmon, but also ceviche, oysters, shellfish and most any fowl dishes. Yum.

Available at Liquor Barn, South Lyndale and Solo Vino.

Bill Ward