Someone asked me about The Governor at a tasting a couple of weeks ago.
Had I tried it?
No.
So obviously that stayed in my head until I ended up in Majestic buying a bottle.
I paid about £8 for it as part of a mixed six. There is also a more expensive VIP version at around £11, which I bought as well because apparently I now need to know whether The Governor has a better-dressed older brother.
I haven’t opened that one yet.
This one first.
And yes, I’m from Essex, so I feel reasonably qualified to say The Governor properly.
So what actually is it?
It’s a Spanish white made from Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc and some oaked Chardonnay.
Which is quite a strange mix when you think about it.
Verdejo gives you that slightly herbal, very Spanish character. Sauvignon Blanc should bring the freshness and acidity. Then you have oaked Chardonnay coming in with a bit more weight and that softer, warmer feeling.
I described it in the video as a bit of a cuddle.
I’m sticking with that.
You’ve got grapes in the same bottle that are trying to do different jobs, which is probably why I was curious about it in the first place.
The Governor was commissioned for Majestic, and it doesn’t really feel as though anybody involved was too worried about following the usual wine rulebook.
Fair enough.
First smell
This surprised me because there wasn’t loads coming off it at first.
I’d already opened the bottle earlier and had a small taste, but even when I came back to it, the nose was still fairly quiet.
Once I gave it a decent swirl, I started getting more tropical fruit. There was something almost banana-like there, which I wasn’t expecting, then a little vanilla underneath.
That will probably be the Chardonnay showing itself.
Not loads of oak. Just enough that you notice something a bit softer going on behind the fruit.
Quick tip while we’re here. If you pour a wine and you’re struggling to smell much, put your hand over the top of the glass, give it a swirl, then lift your hand and smell it straight away.
You’ve trapped some of those aromas in there and they tend to jump out a little more.
You can also put the glass to your ear and hear the sea.
That bit won’t help the wine.
Then I tasted it
And my immediate reaction was that it’s really nice.
For about £8, I’d happily drink it.
The Sauvignon gives it some freshness, but this isn’t a really sharp, zippy Sauvignon Blanc. The Verdejo changes the feel of it, then that Chardonnay rounds things off.
That’s probably where I’m slightly torn on it.
If you normally drink Sauvignon Blanc and want something different, I can see you liking this.
If you’re into Chardonnay with a bit of oak, I can see you getting something out of it as well.
But there is a little question in my head about whether trying to cover both sides means it doesn’t go quite far enough in either direction.
I think that will depend entirely on who is drinking it.
It’s quite a Marmite wine.
I like it. Someone else might take one sip and wonder what all three grapes are doing in the same bottle.
That’s fine too.
I wanted a little more freshness
There is acidity here.
You can tell because after you drink it, your mouth starts watering. That’s one of the easiest ways to notice acidity in wine without sitting there trying to analyse it.
I just wanted slightly more of it.
After a couple of glasses, I think the Verdejo and Chardonnay could start to feel a touch rich for me. A little more of that Sauvignon freshness coming through would probably keep it moving better.
That said, it doesn’t fall into the trap some wines around this price do, where everything is made easier to drink by throwing loads of sweetness at it.
There is actually something going on here.
It tastes like somebody has made a decision rather than just tried to make the safest white wine possible.
This is a Tuesday night wine
And I mean that as a compliment.
Not every bottle needs candles, dinner guests and a conversation about how long it has been in oak.
Sometimes you want a bottle in the fridge because it’s Tuesday, you fancy a glass of white and you want something better than the completely forgettable bottle you nearly bought instead.
That is where I think The Governor works.
It has enough going on that you can talk about it if you want to.
You also absolutely do not need to.
Pour it, drink it, see what you think.
The name probably gives you a clue that nobody expects too much ceremony.
And then there’s The Governor VIP
This is where I’m reserving judgement.
The VIP costs a few quid more, and part of the story is around where the grapes come from, with I believe more influence from the oaked Chardonnay as well.
Does that make it better?
Maybe.
But I’m not giving it extra points because the label says VIP and it costs another £3.
I need to drink it first.
I’m actually quite interested to try them side by side because at this end of the price range, an extra £3 is quite a jump.
If it’s noticeably better, great.
If not, the normal Governor has a pretty strong argument for itself.
Would I buy it again?
Yes.
I wouldn’t tell you this is an incredible wine that everybody needs to rush out and buy, because I don’t think it is.
I do think it is interesting, though.
And for roughly £8, interesting is quite a good place to be.
If you drink Sauvignon Blanc all the time and fancy moving slightly sideways, try it. If you like a bit of oak in Chardonnay but don’t want something huge and buttery, I’d be curious to know what you make of it too.
For me, it’s a good midweek bottle.
I’d happily have one sitting in the fridge.
And judging by the name, The Governor would probably be quite pleased with that.
If you want to see the full tasting, including my first reaction to The Governor and a bit more on why I think it works as a midweek bottle, watch the video below. And if you’ve tried it yourself, let me know what you thought. I’ve got a feeling this is one of those wines that will split people right down the middle.
