First Savennieres - a Joly with some Alsace for contrast

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Tasted Monday, May 11, 2015 by RajivAyyangar with 291 views

Flight 1 (5 Notes)

  • 2012 Nicolas Joly Savennières Roche aux Moines Clos de la Bergerie 90 Points

    France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières Roche aux Moines

    bottle 64964942 - first accessing
    @home

    Summary: Intense and savory with honeyed secondaries and electric acidity. Glorious. Makes me think of underbrush, furniture in cabins, and due to the overwhelming suggestion of all the “wooly” notes I’ve read…. wool socks by the fire.

    Score: Around 9
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    Full Sensory:

    Clear, day bright.
    Moderately concentrated deep gold.
    No gas or sediment. Significant tears.

    [Faint touch of RS: ~3-4 g/L]

    N: Moderate plus intensity. Clean.
    Dominated by a savory burnt wood, coin polish aroma (lanolin?). Faint ripe pear/pommaceous fruit. Faint honey, just a suggestion of botrytis (not much). Not very fruit driven at all, maybe a bit of toasted apricot, dried. There’s a suggestion of high-toast wood, but not much. Maybe just a small percentage?
    The nose is developing, and has a savory complexity.

    P: Dry, maybe 2-3g RS at most.
    Overall impression is medium-plus body.
    Alcohol is slightly elevated [14%].
    On the palate, savory and driven by secondary flavors. Nothing new here, but emphasizes the savory earthy wood tones (not oak).
    No real evidence of new oak, maybe some used barrels. [6-8 months in used barrels]
    Acidity is elevated - searing clean tartaric acid that fades into a little malic punch at the end.
    No phenolic bitterness or tannins.
    The wine is balanced in a richly structured way - vibrant with acidity.
    There's a savory complexity here.
    The finish is moderate in length.

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  • 2009 Albert Boxler Pinot Gris Reserve

    France, Alsace

    bottle 64761-272 (previously accessed 5/3, 5/4, 5/5)

    Clear, day bright.
    Moderately concentrated deep gold.
    No gas or sediment, moderate tears.

    N: M+ intensity, clean.
    Ripe peach, hint of fresh apricot, hint of ripe pear, hint of citrus peel. Secondary tones of sweet terpenic candied rose petals.
    No evidence of oak.
    Developing. Complex.

    P: A touch sweet - some RS - maybe 15 grams. Moderate plus in body.
    Honeyed character. Acidity is just moderate but in balance. Alcohol is moderate plus [13.5%] Light phenolic bitterness.
    No evidence of oak.
    Complex.
    Balanced in a ripe style.
    Finish is long.

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  • 2007 Hugel Riesling Jubilee

    France, Alsace

    bottle 64761-278 (accessed 5/3, 5/4, 5/5)

    N: ripe meyer lemon, beeswax, hint of saffron (botrytis), very light petrol/TDN/Beach Ball that I quickly inure to.
    Moderate alcohol. High Acid - finishes with tartaric and malic.
    The overall character is much sunnier, lemony-er than the Chenin, which is funky and savory and almost bitter in aroma. The acidity is higher in malic on the Riesling and probably went through malolactic on the Savennieres.

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  • 2013 Domaine Allimant-Laugner Riesling

    France, Alsace

    (previously accessed on 5/7)

    N: Green apple skins, hint of terpenes. Apple jolly rancher.
    P: Ripping acidity. Light. Faint RS. no bitterness.

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  • 2012 Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Cuvée Théo

    France, Alsace

    Bottle 64810-404 (accessed 5/5, 5/7)
    Nose: Tight. Bitter candied rose petal with grapefruit pith (ripe).
    Palate: Fat, diminished acidity, strong phenolic bitterness.

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Closing

My conclusions:

Key features of Savennieres:
Darker color
Savory herbaceous nose - possibly this is lanolin/wooly (to me it presents as coin polish).
Elevated alcohol.
Elevated to high acidity.
Other hints which I didn’t pick up: oxidation, botrytis.

Laterals for Savennieres (why is it not...)
-Alsace Pinot Gris: PG nose is more stone fruit, slight terpenes. PG has phenolic bitterness.
-Alsace Riesling: Higher alcohol, more savory profile, no TDN, wooly/lanolin character. Oxidization would give it away if it’s present.
-Alsace Gewurz: Much higher acidity than Gewurz. No phenolic bitterness. Nose is totally different. No terpenes (candied rose petals, orange oil, lychee).

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