Aromas of lemon especially, then spring flowers, quince and hazelnut, with some brioche to round things off. The attack is fresh but subtle, crisp but without any rasping feel: fresh lemon flavours at first, then wafts of honey, light butterscotch, orange peel, closing with a persistent flourish of biscuit. Apart from the lemon, all of these flavours are subtle and understated, leaving a sensation of great purity and class.
It’s not really a food wine, rather one to contemplate on its own. I’m not sure how it will age but there’s no reason to wait anyway as it’s delicious right now. 95 pts
The only problem is the price - this was a present from my lovely wife last Christmas, but looking online I see that it probably cost around 65€ and is selling at auction for around 80€.
It’s been my Chenin highlight of the year, or at least the 24 Mois version was. Olivier Lejeune is one to watch.
I bought a few bottles of each cuvee last week, at around 50€. PM me and I can share the shop.
As I read somewhere online, Lejeune tries to keep the sale domestical, so yes it’s really difficult to find them.
If Savennières had an official ranking, Château d’Épire would be my first choice for a 2nd Growth slot. Its structure and aging potential are world-class.
We had a very good 2010 Huet CdB Demi-Sec last night. I thought it was showing quite young and unformed. It did develop layers with air, but still lots to go.
@Brad_Kane and @Jayson_Cohen may have had more analytical takes, but I believe both enjoyed it.
Had the opportunity to pick up some 2018 Damien Laureau Savennières Le Bel Ouvrage at a discount last week. I bought 6 a few months ago and fell in love with this style. So when I saw they were on sale it was a easy decision.
Last night had a pretty straightforward bottle of 2024 Hureau Saumur Argile and for my tastes it was perfect for the dinner party occasion. Sturdy fruit but crisp, bracing and refreshing, with enough chenin character to be of interest. Looking forward to opening some more 2024 chenins in the upcoming weeks.
Next up was tonight’s 2024 Huet Clos du Bourg Vouvray Sec, which has more ripe succulent fruit in the middle, more depth and more complexity. But despite all of that substance, it is still framed with a nice crisp chalky mineral linear structure, so 2024 is apparent and more digestible than 2023. That said, probably still needs time to evolve. And the simpler 2024 Hureau Argile had a much faster evaporation rate…
The nose is mouth-watering, literally, and just writing this now makes mine water again! A gorgeous blend of white peach, honey, honeysuckle blossom and lemon, which fills the room. On the palate - wow - fresh white peach to start, then wafts of honey, honeysuckle, cooler lemon, a little caramel; some stonier notes, with good but not rasping acidity and an incredibly long finish, of which the aftertaste lasts for ever. Quite rich, but subtle and elegant, with a feeling of effortless charm. One of the best Loire chenins I’ve tried in the last few years. 95 pts
The 2017 tried before was singularly unimpressive, but now I get why people are prepared to pay 70€ for this. Much as I love my usual producers, this is on a higher level. It’s not like “New Anjou” - there isn’t the same acidity. It feels classier, more subtle.
All wine regions are ruled by the law of diminishing returns, including the Loire, so whether you feel that two extra points justify doubling the price you pay is….a quandary, but I shall seek out more, simply because I’d like to try one next time alongside one of my favourites.
I’ve no doubt it used to half that price, but the Rougeard connection and the quality have combined to push the price up to what it is now, sadly for us, happily for him!
Collier has long been more expensive than other Saumur wines in the US, firmly established as the premium label. But that doesn’t mean it won’t get even more expensive in the future!
I think it has probably settled in to its natural price here in the States, ~$75 for the blanc and ~$125 for the Charpentrie. I still think there is value there even if it’s no longer the absurd value it was at ~$40 and ~$70.
The offers I have received in the past year have been around 80€. I buy Nourrissons for 70€… Collier is definitely one of the rarer domaines to see these days, even in Europe. Strange when the size is double that of Bernaudeau. But Charpenterie is definitely a really good cuvee that can stand toe to toe with the big names IMO.
2017 Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Clos de Guichaux - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (1/16/2026)
Medium hay color, lightly savory chenin nose, an elegant showing, flavor intensity is on the lighter side, but enough to hold your interest, excellent acidity, touches of nicely savory minerality, starting to develop some nice light complexities. Not quite depth and intensity, but a lovely, more elegant chenin. (92 points)
