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2005 Yannick Amirault Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Les Malgagnes - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil (2/25/2017)
Chose this one for OTBN 2017, as it was the last of my mixed case of his wines from the 2005 vintage, and because I thought it would be interesting to check on it. Purchased on release, this showed a cork and fill in near perfect condition. The color, too, appears quite young, a full ruby. Initial aromas have me a little concerned that this is going to be too primary, but it’s with just 15 minutes of air in decanter that this settles down and shows its pedigree. On the nose, (at least) three different kinds of soil, along with three different kinds of tobacco - these dominated for the first hour, before modest baskets of red and dark berries joined the party. The palate is a very fine medium(-) bodied effort with pencil thin, almost austere tannins, and vibrant, fresh acidity; nothing green here at all, save maybe a whiff of tobacco on the nose. This is for the AFWE, all others would likely pour it out. For me, with a dish of mixed seafood in a spicy broth, it was magnificent. Another five years ahead, at least, though I’m not sure how much more it can improve from here; I suppose it depends on your preferences. recommended
Served non-blind,
Posted from CellarTracker