2013 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Les Motelles- France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (11/22/2020)
– decanted immediately before initial taste –
– tasted non-blind over approx. 3 hours –
NOSE: clean; medium-light Cab. Franc green note; stony; plum; little bit of garrigué; moderately expressive; smells like it’s going to be medium-light bodied; reminds me of how Baudry’s 2015 Guillot smells.
BODY: rustic violet-garnet color of medium depth; little bit of very fine particulate matter present; light to medium-light bodied.
TASTE: pretty watery; garrigué; plummy; light concentration of fruit; some red berry in the background; hint of Kalamata olives, particularly on the finish; complex, very interesting, but sadly lacking in stuffing – and it’s not just light, it really comes across as watery/hollow; clearly best for drinking Now; gut impression score: low 80s.
I had the '11 of the same last night and found it to be pretty watery as well. While it had some of that tobacco and ash taste, which told me it’s Loire CF, it almost felt diluted. I’ve never had Guiberteau before so wasn’t sure if that’s the style or I had a bad bottle but reading your note, perhaps it’s the style? Regardless, can’t say I enjoyed it too much and definitely was a major qpr failure.
I’ve had two or three vintages of their standard, entry-level, Saumur bottling and it was better than this. Both '13 and '11 were pretty weak Loire vintages, especially '13, so I’m betting our experiences were products of the vintages. That said, I do think they craft their reds in a more elegant, less burly, style.
Thanks for the note Brian. Obviously I haven’t had that many Loire CFs to be able to really know the full spectrum of different producers and their styles, but I think I definitely prefer the ones that are bit more darker/denser and green. All in all, the nose was still quite lovely, but the palate just lacked a punch to justify its price tag. Oh well, on to the next bottle!