Brian,
I agree with you that these wines give the impression that there is so much room to grow with patience & time sideways. However, I’ve had multiple bottles that were premoxed. I’m not sitting on my bottles for more than 1-2 years now. However, I like it enough to seek out every time I can buy it.
I’ve been alarmed, concerned, and vicariously disappointed hearing about your pre-mox experiences with this producer. For my part, I’ve only run into one bottle that was maybe pre-moxed (a '12 Breze a few months ago), but even that was pretty darned delicious, just showing more advanced than I think it should have been (granted, most Guiberteaus I’ve had have been too young for pre-mox to have taken effect yet).
I’ll keep rolling the dice on these because I badly want to see what they do with 10 to 20 years of age — surely, some of the bottles won’t turn early (I hope!). I adore these Chenins, but continue to search around for other producers who tickle my fancy. … had a surprisingly excellent Chenin from Chappellet a couple days ago — granted, it is “very CA,” and is completely different than the interpretation we get from Guiberteau, but I found it quite enjoyable and ordered a few for the upcoming summer.
2013 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Clos des Carmes Brézé - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (12/16/2022)
– double-decanted immediately before initial taste –
– tasted non-blind over a couple hours on Day 1; revisited on Day 5 –
NOSE: initially, reductive with moderately-aged Chenin aromas; reminded me a bit of an oxidative Viura; light note of caramel popcorn at the 1.5hr mark.
BODY: medium-light maize color; medium-light to medium bodied.
TASTE: high acidity; lots of mineral, but some fruit finally starting to emerge; orange oil; papaya; lemony gueuze (Cantillon); apples on the finish; a little thin on the mid-palate. Day 5: acidic and salty; still not much fruit, but seriously dense with mineral. Impressive, and evolving at a slow pace.
50, 5, 12, 17, 8 = (92 pts.)