Hell hath no furry like a sommelier scorned by a wine’s lack of vivacity and acidity when he expects as much. I’m referring to the consistently rich, tropical and often flabby 2003 dry and off-dry white Loire wines. I feel undercurrents of anger toward mother nature when I see 2003 on a bottle of white—not red (that’s a generally delicious success story worthy of another blog)—Loire wine.

As you might recall, two summers ago France experienced record high heat during the grape growing season. While the human death toll rose throughout France for the duration of the summer, Loire white grapes became embarrassingly ripe (will Vintrust let me say “slutty”), generally speaking. Acidity died within the grapes and Technicolor tropical stuff took its place.

Suddenly Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume’s Sauvignon Blanc grapes were more over the top Carmen Miranda party freaks, and not their typical cool Hitchcock blonde svelte selves. Chenin Blanc, famous for its pleasing searing acidity, decided to wet its t-shirt and pronounce that for the 2003 vintage it would let it all hang out, Ft. Lauderdale style. I admit that’s glib pop culture writing which translates to this stolid wine analysis: Many Loire wineries harvested in August even though their grapes spent about only 80 or 90 days on the vine, just as vineyard managers and winemakers recognized that grapes were shriveling and pre-pressed acidity levels were dropping at the same time that potential alcohol levels were rising.

Most solid Loire winemakers recognize the atypical nature of the vintage and don’t seem too excited about the low yields, and the low acidity. I met with a few dozen this past January and February during trips to Chinon, Muscadet, Savennieres, Saumur and other great Loire AOCs. I agree with them and their often highly optimistic importers (sorry to some but not all of my friends on this side of the business) that the 2003 vintage for white Loire wines might serve as crowd pleasing stepping stones for those consumers who like rich, rich, rich, but maybe not linear, direct, and pinpointed.

Yesterday I tasted in New York my first 2004 white Loire finished bottle to reach the shores here, ready to be purchased for a home on a wine list. A year ago I tasted the same wine and wanted to cry for the deep felt loss of acidity, minerality and verve . This time I wanted to cry tears of happiness for rediscovering my long lost lively, zippy, refreshing friend. I bought 300 cases to pour by the glass.

Finding love again is good.