TN: 2010 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Clos des Carmes Monopole

  • 2010 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Clos des Carmes Monopole - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (12/9/2014)
    An extraordinary wine. Ever since I was served Clos Rougeard’s Breze cuvee earlier this year, I’ve been on the look out for similar wines. This comes from a Clos on the hill of Breze, and is the top cuvee made by Guiberteau. The wine shows the same intense grip and minerality of a Coche Corton or a Ramonet Chevalier, married to an ever so slightly tropical mélange of white fruits and blossoms. The first hint that this isn’t a great White Burgundy, is a slight hint of pineapple and that sweet/ sour interplay that for me flags it to be a Chenin. As the wine opened in the glass, it showed more honey and beeswax, but not the butteriness of a great Chardonnay.

A great discovery for me, sadly very little seems top be available as they only make 2,000 or so bottles. The wine was recommended by the manager at a fantastic new wine bar in Hong Kong called Le Quinze Vins.

Posted from CellarTracker

Cool notes, thanks for posting on this relatively obscure wine. I grabbed some of the 2012 reds but have not tried any.

Sounds intensely interesting, thanks for posting your thoughts Stephen. Any feel as to price point?

Kwa Heri,

Mike

The first great white discovery of my life was Clos Rougeard breze awhile back. I recently discovered Guiberteau whites once again in Paris. Like Clos Rougeard, it is hard to find but well worth it. Both EMP and Per Se have the lower end whites on the list. One of the better buys.

Thanks for the great notes.

It retails for about €40 if you can find it !

I have had this wine twice in the last six months… It was easily my favorite white wine I had this year. Excellent note… glad I have one more.

Great producer and I just love the style. I’m buying all of the whites whenever I see them. The base blanc drinks terrific for a good price. Tried one of the reds and it wasn’t showing much. Needs a lot of time I think.

3 cases just came in to The Wine Club in SF at $50. Seems like a pretty good deal so I picked up a few.

Thanks for the note. Excited to try the whites. Been very disappointed by the reds.

Matt, what didn’t you like about the reds? And is this across vintages? Most people seem enthralled by them, and your assessment is the first negative one I’ve seen.

  • 2010 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Clos des Carmes Monopole - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (5/18/2019)
    This was such a deep golden hue in the bottle that I opened it and I’m glad I did. It seems to be advancing faster than I had hoped currently. This is such a deep golden hue that it almost reminds me of Sauternes. The nose is wooly, with honey comb, and yellow delicious apple. The palate is bone dry, with notes of camomile, lime, pineapple, and candied ginger that linger along the finish. Outstanding!! But if you have multiples…I’d drink one to check in and see what you think.

Posted from CellarTracker

After my experience with my last bottle I thought it best to open my final remaining bottle sooner rather than later. This bottle was near pristine and exactly what I was expecting when I opened the last bottle.

  • 2010 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Clos des Carmes Monopole - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (5/27/2019)
    After my last experience I decided to open my last remaining bottle and it was completely different from the bottle I opened a few weeks ago. Young, tight, fresh, and exactly as it should be. This gives me a bit of pause because while I didn’t really want to admit it…the one thing that seems most likely is premature oxidation. Interesting, and I really hope I’m wrong. This bottle was fresh, light, and had a lovely core of acidity. Pale golden in the glass and dry as a bone. This has citrus notes on the nose & palate with a woolly note that lingers in the nostrils. Poised & elegant…if you have a pristine bottle then it seems like it could last for another 10+ years. However, if your bottle is like my last it’s best to drink up now.

Posted from CellarTracker

Frustrating. Thanks for the posts, Kirk.

Brian, while I think the flawed bottle was pre-moxed I did still enjoy it. We drank all of it over two days and it was good both days. But it was not nearly as epic as my last bottle was. Needless to say, I’m less hopeful about aging these than I was previously. I will be drinking my 2013 by next summer.

Welllllll … shit. I think I have some '13s either laying down or on order. Please let us know what you find when you pop one. [cheers.gif]

I opened my last bottle of this yesterday, and it was definitely oxidized. I would say this reminded me of what I know as premox in white Burgundies, with a sort of sherried character. It’s probably safe to say mine was in worse shape than Kirk’s; it went down the drain. I’m glad I had a nice backup bottle of Riesling ready to go.

Doug, That sucks…makes me think I’ve really got to enjoy them in their youth. I opened a 2015 Breze a few weeks ago and it was sublime…these will not be resting long in my cellar after more than one experience like this.

2010 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Clos des Carmes Brézé - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (8/11/2021)
– tasting note from Day 5. Bottle was kept in fridge after opening –
– tasted non-blind –

NOSE: a bit honeyed (including on Day 1); medium+ expressiveness; hint of matchstick (even on Day 5); medium-light oak; smells aged, but far from dead.

BODY: light amber color; medium-light to medium bodied.

TASTE: high acidity, but it melds with beautiful aged Chenin flavors of orange oil, wool, and light sandalwood; light oak; seems appropriately advanced for its age, but I understand how others would say this is advancing too quickly — I cannot make that call, myself, without having recently opened another bottle of the same that showed fresher/less advanced; maybe a hint of sherried character; 13.5% alc. is hidden; this was a recent auction purchase, so I can’t speak on how it was stored over the years; I think this is phenomenal, and – for my preferences – is in the perfect spot right now. Gut impression score: 93 - 95.

Nice. I’m glad you got a good bottle.

I’m hoping my lone other bottle shows just as nicely; if it’s a dud, then – overall – I lose.