Review: Licence IV Blanc

When seeking out wine that offers exceptional value, I’ve learned that there are a few factors at play to influence the price. Some of those factors are things like crop yield, labor costs, region and packaging. The wine I’m highlighting today, Licence IV Blanc, has a few things going for it that drive the quality-to-price ratio (QPR). Some of these things may not be scientifically proven to lower the costs, but are things I’ve observed as price factors over the years. Let’s call these my musings.

The region where this wine comes from is the Loire Valley in France, which is known for producing fabulous wine but for whatever reason doesn’t get the attention of some other regions in France. The lack of a spotlight on this region results in some exceptional values.

The grape variety this wine is produced from is Melon de Bourgogne, also known as Muscadet. This is not as well-known of a variety as many others, which might lower the demand and therefore the cost for this wine.

This wine is packaged in cans. I did some quick searching for info comparing the cost of materials for bottles versus cans and didn’t come up with any compelling information — although I’m sure I could find something if I really wanted to go down that rabbit hole. Nonetheless, it takes no research at all to come to the conclusion that aluminum cans are far lighter weight than bottles and therefore would reduce shipping costs as a choice.

With all of that said, for a wine to offer a great QPR it needs to deliver on the Q… (i.e., the quality). And in that sense, this wine delivers!

Tasting Notes

The aromatics from this wine are mostly tropical in nature and are elegant rather than overpowering. It offers fragrances like lime, pineapple, cut grass and wet stones. On the palate it’s crisp, light and refreshing with pineapple and lime flavors up front with a saline finish. The acidity is sufficient and the mouthfeel is nice. It finishes relatively long. It’s a nice wine.

Wine: Licence IV Blanc
Variety: Melon de Bourgogne
Vintage: Non-vintage
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 88
Average price: $5.99 (250ml can)
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.