October 2023 Loire Dinner (Mathilde - SF): This was a little too big and the cheesy funk was a little too much for me. Great wine, but not really my cuppa. I am also an acid freak, and I found it a little wanting here.
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Loire Tasting (Mathilda Bistro, San Francisco): Quite nice nose with complex and mature flavors of lemon, cheese, spices, lactic notes, and citrus zest. Nice acidity with a good amount of weight and richness (15% abv!), notes of peach, honey, citrus, and minerals on the palate. Nice finish. Interesting wine!
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Berserker Offline (Mathilde Bistro - SF): 3cm fill, cork came out in 1 piece with the Durand. Super stinky on opening, which blows off quickly. Focused honey and wool nose, under tones of flowers and mushrooms. More white mushroom in the mouth, which progresses to white-truffle over 3 hours - a very enjoyable marriage to the classic honeyed citrus Chenin palate core. Still remarkably fresh, with great acid, light wool and smoke, a savory potassium salt quality, and a funky cheesy note - the table calls it the “sheep cheese” wine for the rest of the night. 15% alcohol on the bottle. Hard to detect any heat - maybe just a smidge on the end of the long savory finish.
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An even better showing for this wine; largely due to a better cork. Terrific complexity , texture and legth. Great saline and floral notes. At 32 years of age, it showed better on the second day! That doesn't happen every day for a 32 year old white wine...
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What a shame they didn't use better corks for this wine... It's obvious that this could have been a truly spectacular wine with better corks. seepage, low fills but at least no TCA... Difficult to evaluate what the hue would be with better corks, but here it's light golden but seems to at least hold in glass if not slightly improve. I'm almost tempted to decant this wine. The ripeness of the 1990 vintage comes across with excellent intensity, ripe phenolics and a rich texture. Excellent Chenin typicity with all of its savory elements, kumquat, white pepper, Rich texture, very smooth and clearly a little RS which doesn't detract. Enough acidity for freshness and tension. Get some better corks!
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oFirst of 5 bottles purchased at auction. Cork in bad condition with some seepage and relatively low fill. Light golden hue. The wine is listed at 15 % alcohol which is difficult to believe. Initially served slightly cold with no decanting and allowed to warm up. Early on intense lemon/lime zest notes, savory aromas with good intensity and underlying acidity. This wine manages to balance high alcohol, high acidity and some phenolics. Allowed to warm up, get some air and time this wine develops substantial complexity and a long finish with only slight astringency. Still very enjoyable and not about to fall apart...
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Beautiful and aromatic bouquet. On the palate apricots, oranges and minerals and more.. Very soft and tasty. Beautiful soft bitterness in the long finish. Great wine! Ready now, but no hurry.
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Dreamtasting #1 (Restaurant Le Défi, Sprang-Capelle): Beautiful concentration, very unctuous but not cloying mouthfeel. Fruit is still fresh and, of course, very ripe and juicy. Interesting vegetal aromas of fresh garden herbs, fennel and steamed vegetables (carrots, peas, string beans). Also some earthy, sweaty, outdoorsy impressions. Great, great wine in its prime drinking window, but with lots of future. 18,5/20
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Light yellow with a hint of green. Very fresh nose wıth lime, wax, honey and chamomile. Strong mineral notes with a long dry finish, but flavors have faded over the years such that the alcohol is a bit prominent for my taste. Others disagreed and found the finish smooth rather than hot. Either way, a distinctive and lovely wine.
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Tasted next to the '97. This was a full yellow but noticeably lighter in color than the younger wine. A strong hint of vanilla on the nose and then piquant citrus in the orange range. Creamy, waxy texture, dry with great retained acidity. Very fresh for 20 year old Savennieres with only the slightest hint of oxidation creeping in toward the end of the bottle. Prototypical and outstanding.
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Medium gold color, some floral on the nose and medium bodied. Palate has some white burgundy in it and the finish is somewhat sweet. What a wonderful blend of characteristics. This probably wont improve with age but now at 20 years, it should be good for another 5.
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Again, I'm surprised by the quality of Loire. Rich, sweet tones though this wine is as dry as a wine can be (is it?). Incredible finish, mineral and long. This is so good, I wonder again why this is not more popular than it is today.
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We had this side by side with the 1997, well accompanied by a wild salmon with porcini sauce and roasted baby turnips and celery root, both of which had come out of the ground today. This was a more austere wine, though it still shared many of the same wonderful honey, honeysuckle and chamomile notes. Having had this wine several times over the years, I don't think it was losing its aromatics, though it strikes me as far less aromatic than the 1997. There was a little more mineral here, reminded some of us of a Grand Cru white Burgundy of similar age. The alcohol was a full 1% higher than 1997, and sometimes it peered through a little bit too much for my taste. Others disagreed. The finish was very long and with both wines, I called it the vinous equivalent of ullulation (ullulation being on my mind after hearing that at Sarah Palin's church, they reportedly spoke in tongues). For me, there is no contest between the 1997 and 1990. At every age, I have found the 1997 to be the profound wine. But interestingly, we were evently split at the table. Some people found the relative austerity of this wine more appealing. We will plan to drink our few remaining bottles over the next couple of years.
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10/7/2023 - ylkim30 wrote:
October 2023 Loire Dinner (Mathilde - SF): This was a little too big and the cheesy funk was a little too much for me. Great wine, but not really my cuppa. I am also an acid freak, and I found it a little wanting here.
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10/7/2023 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Loire Tasting (Mathilda Bistro, San Francisco): Quite nice nose with complex and mature flavors of lemon, cheese, spices, lactic notes, and citrus zest. Nice acidity with a good amount of weight and richness (15% abv!), notes of peach, honey, citrus, and minerals on the palate. Nice finish. Interesting wine!
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10/7/2023 - ohne_musik wrote: 95 Points
Berserker Offline (Mathilde Bistro - SF): 3cm fill, cork came out in 1 piece with the Durand. Super stinky on opening, which blows off quickly. Focused honey and wool nose, under tones of flowers and mushrooms. More white mushroom in the mouth, which progresses to white-truffle over 3 hours - a very enjoyable marriage to the classic honeyed citrus Chenin palate core. Still remarkably fresh, with great acid, light wool and smoke, a savory potassium salt quality, and a funky cheesy note - the table calls it the “sheep cheese” wine for the rest of the night. 15% alcohol on the bottle. Hard to detect any heat - maybe just a smidge on the end of the long savory finish.
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7/7/2022 - vagrantone Likes this wine: 95 Points
An even better showing for this wine; largely due to a better cork.
Terrific complexity , texture and legth.
Great saline and floral notes. At 32 years of age, it showed better on the second day! That doesn't happen every day for a 32 year old white wine...
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10/24/2020 - vagrantone Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a shame they didn't use better corks for this wine...
It's obvious that this could have been a truly spectacular wine with better corks. seepage, low fills but at least no TCA...
Difficult to evaluate what the hue would be with better corks, but here it's light golden but seems to at least hold in glass if not slightly improve.
I'm almost tempted to decant this wine.
The ripeness of the 1990 vintage comes across with excellent intensity, ripe phenolics and a rich texture.
Excellent Chenin typicity with all of its savory elements, kumquat, white pepper,
Rich texture, very smooth and clearly a little RS which doesn't detract. Enough acidity for freshness and tension.
Get some better corks!
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8/17/2020 - vagrantone Likes this wine: 93 Points
oFirst of 5 bottles purchased at auction.
Cork in bad condition with some seepage and relatively low fill.
Light golden hue. The wine is listed at 15 % alcohol which is difficult to believe.
Initially served slightly cold with no decanting and allowed to warm up.
Early on intense lemon/lime zest notes, savory aromas with good intensity and underlying acidity. This wine manages to balance high alcohol, high acidity and some phenolics.
Allowed to warm up, get some air and time this wine develops substantial complexity and a long finish with only slight astringency.
Still very enjoyable and not about to fall apart...
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9/16/2012 - Mistress of Wine wrote: flawed
Corked
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9/26/2010 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful and aromatic bouquet. On the palate apricots, oranges and minerals and more.. Very soft and tasty. Beautiful soft bitterness in the long finish. Great wine! Ready now, but no hurry.
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9/25/2010 - jkoenen wrote: 94 Points
Dreamtasting #1 (Restaurant Le Défi, Sprang-Capelle): Beautiful concentration, very unctuous but not cloying mouthfeel. Fruit is still fresh and, of course, very ripe and juicy. Interesting vegetal aromas of fresh garden herbs, fennel and steamed vegetables (carrots, peas, string beans). Also some earthy, sweaty, outdoorsy impressions. Great, great wine in its prime drinking window, but with lots of future. 18,5/20
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9/25/2010 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 94 Points
1990 Domaine des Baumard Savennières Trie Spéciale (France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières) (Frankrijk, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières) Kleur: Middel goudgeel Aroma / bouquet: Opvallend tropische neus, lychee in combinatie met wat steenfruit, frisse kruidigheid, Smaak / Afdronk: Romige, wat lactische aanzet, verleidelijke rondeur, goede vulling, filmend mondgevoel. Algemeen / potentieel: Prachtige rijke Savennières, enorme jeugdigheid. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 13 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 94/100
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8/28/2010 - Mistress of Wine wrote:
Light yellow with a hint of green. Very fresh nose wıth lime, wax, honey and chamomile. Strong mineral notes with a long dry finish, but flavors have faded over the years such that the alcohol is a bit prominent for my taste. Others disagreed and found the finish smooth rather than hot. Either way, a distinctive and lovely wine.
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7/8/2010 - 60ouvrees wrote:
Good wine but it lacks sufficient acid and falls a little flat on the palate.
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2/20/2010 - Mistress of Wine wrote:
As fresh and lovely as previous bottles
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2/19/2010 - drwine2001 wrote:
Tasted next to the '97. This was a full yellow but noticeably lighter in color than the younger wine. A strong hint of vanilla on the nose and then piquant citrus in the orange range. Creamy, waxy texture, dry with great retained acidity. Very fresh for 20 year old Savennieres with only the slightest hint of oxidation creeping in toward the end of the bottle. Prototypical and outstanding.
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12/5/2009 - plitton wrote: 92 Points
Medium gold color, some floral on the nose and medium bodied. Palate has some white burgundy in it and the finish is somewhat sweet. What a wonderful blend of characteristics. This probably wont improve with age but now at 20 years, it should be good for another 5.
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2/21/2009 - MauriceE wrote: 91 Points
Again, I'm surprised by the quality of Loire. Rich, sweet tones though this wine is as dry as a wine can be (is it?). Incredible finish, mineral and long. This is so good, I wonder again why this is not more popular than it is today.
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10/5/2008 - Mistress of Wine wrote: 91 Points
We had this side by side with the 1997, well accompanied by a wild salmon with porcini sauce and roasted baby turnips and celery root, both of which had come out of the ground today. This was a more austere wine, though it still shared many of the same wonderful honey, honeysuckle and chamomile notes. Having had this wine several times over the years, I don't think it was losing its aromatics, though it strikes me as far less aromatic than the 1997. There was a little more mineral here, reminded some of us of a Grand Cru white Burgundy of similar age. The alcohol was a full 1% higher than 1997, and sometimes it peered through a little bit too much for my taste. Others disagreed. The finish was very long and with both wines, I called it the vinous equivalent of ullulation (ullulation being on my mind after hearing that at Sarah Palin's church, they reportedly spoke in tongues). For me, there is no contest between the 1997 and 1990. At every age, I have found the 1997 to be the profound wine. But interestingly, we were evently split at the table. Some people found the relative austerity of this wine more appealing. We will plan to drink our few remaining bottles over the next couple of years.
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5/25/2006 - jfs5 wrote: 84 Points
Really disappointing; loosing its fruit; turning gold colour
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