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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.3 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 57 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Rbhan12 on 4/3/2024: Shared by a very generous mentor, was under vacuvin for a day.
Pretty interesting and singular wine. Nose showed a hint of grass but it was dense and layered, maybe with some waxy character to it. The palate had density and coiling and weight with a slightly oily texture. The finish had supple minerality.
Have to say I am a big Sauv Blanc fan and I've never had one like this. It is certainly singular. Very grateful to have tasted this as a reference point. Can only imagine what this was as a fresh bottle. (205 views) | | | Tasted by Floral on 3/6/2024 flawed bottle: This was a complete nothing-burger. Hugely confusing given the reputation here.
Some faint grass and orchard fruit, no one was home.
Could this have been that shut down? Low level TCA stripping the joy? Will assume it was defective. (251 views) | | | Tasted by tooch on 3/20/2023 flawed bottle: Slightly corked. (1461 views) | | | Tasted by d'Artagnan on 12/16/2022 & rated 92 points: Dîner de Noël des anciens C&S (Restaurant Bagatelle): Nez qui nous faisait hésiter chenin ou sauvignon...Un vin frais, d'une
belle densité, avec une texture noble et une finale ample, précise. Très bon, il pâlit toutefois face aux deux suivants, n'ayant pas la même concentration peut-être en raison du millésime plus léger. 92 pts (1718 views) | | | Tasted by Cote d'Or on 6/4/2021: Tasted over 3 hrs and day 2, bottle from secondary market
-translucent light/med gold with green
-restrained faint white fruit floral
-med acidity, med/med- weight with generous viscosity that greases the rail for a delivery of sappy mineral grapefruit pith intensity on the backend with a tangy long finish, with additional air gets more complex with some floral elements quinine and the faintest hint of oxidation otherwise no overt maturity; still lovely long elegant and complex on day 2
-really quite interesting and lovely, has evolved considerably in 8 years but in no way tired in fact this may still have some additional upside (2513 views) | | | Tasted by drwine2001 on 12/30/2020: Aerated for an hour in advance (and I wish I had given it even more time). Dull medium yellow. Subdued aromatics at first, then gradually a wee bit of herbs and grapefruit. Remarkably little green and no Sauvignon pungency whatsoever. Medium body that starts out with some glycerine sheen but ends lean and stony. Neutral flavors on the attack before white grapefruit, huge acidity, and minerality kick in midway through all the way to the finish. At 13/14 years of age (Happy almost New Year!), it is crystalline and still coiled, a true freak of the white wine universe. This could go on for another 20 years. Completely unlike any other Sancerre. A truly great, unique wine but only if you are seeking geologic gratification rather than raging fruit. (2925 views) | | | Tasted by fitzi on 7/21/2020: Light straw colored, delightfully fresh-looking. From the bottle, not fresh but still youthful; not yielding much flavor or aroma at first, as you would find in a still-young Neore or Clisson Muscadet. Intimations of very fine acidity and complex depth with small sips. With aeration, these features are more pronounced, and the wine gets more exciting. Reminds me of Ponsot 2004 Aligoté Mont Luisant, more than anything else I've tasted.
I was much relieved by this bottle: the last one I opened (about half a year ago) was a maderized mess, and I have four more after this one. I read somewhere the Neore takes 20 years to reveal itself, and I can believe it after this bottle. Good as it is, tho, I can't wrap my lobes around the $300 price you find for this vintage - with intervening vintages at $350. Maybe I'll see the light in another seven years; otherwise, give me a Raveneau Chablis or Corton Charlemagne, if we're shopping in that price range. (2653 views) | | | Tasted by Neuneuil on 8/9/2019 & rated 95 points: Magical wine. Popped and poured. 1/2 bottle served in burgundy glasses at lunch @ Cordeillan Bages. Rest of bottle will follow on the first course in the eve zing.
Not sure how to rate it but a not-so-technical approach to a 95 sounds about right.
Robe has golden reflects tinted with shades of green; burnt underwood and apple nose. Bitter notes at the start in mouth which mellowed into beautifully elegant butter halfway in. Marvellous acidity enquiring depth. Can’t wait to see it again in the evening, followed by an aged Cote Rôtie. (2611 views) | | | Tasted by Beachfan on 2/21/2019 flawed bottle: Corked (2656 views) | | | Tasted by THT on 2/19/2019: La robe commence à se dorer. Le vin est d’abord assez mutique et ne s’exprime que difficilement en se réchauffant et avec une agitation vigoureuse. On sent la puissance, le vin est large et riche. Mais probablement à attendre. (2283 views) | | | Tasted by PacoHigon on 10/19/2018: Esta es la última añada que Edmond vatan elaboró de su Clos de La Neore así que da no poca tristeza saber que sus precisas elaboraciones cada vez van siendo más escasas. Tampoco he probado los vinos que elabora su hija siguiendo sus huellas y tal vez sean fieles a las manos del maestro. De color dorado, comienza algo cerrado, incluso hay algún toque reductivo y unos marcados toques minerales. La reducción desaparece para mostrar notas de frutal tropical jugosa pero también matices de hierba fresca recién cortada, con profundidad y notable complejidad. En boca hay sensaciones de vainilla, muy buenos amargos, excelente acidez, largo y con una magnífica definición. (2427 views) | | | Tasted by acyso on 8/1/2018 & rated 90 points: Dinner at MingHin (Chicago, IL): This is a wine that has always shown a little waxy to me, and this was no exception. A slight bit of volatility here that I didn't like (nor did I get a chance to revisit this bottle, so I don't know if it blew off). Very high toned, but plenty of acidity on the palate too. (3115 views) | | | Tasted by collin on 1/31/2018: This is just super ripe; fruit comes across as tropical- like mangoes in a freshly mown lawn. Delicious, but definitely idiosyncratic (2448 views) | | | Tasted by Nanda on 1/21/2018 & rated 93 points: Vatan Vertical (TDS): Gorgeous nose is big and rich with orchard fruit and grass/hay notes. The palate follows suit with bigger, rounder fruit that is matched by racy, powerful acids. Great medley of mineral, white fruit and hay. Terrific. (2551 views) | | | Tasted by salil on 1/21/2018 & rated 92 points: Vatan-a-thon at TDS (Chicago, IL): This has not changed much since my notes from 2012. Still a lovely wine, incredibly fresh and vibrant with superb balance though perhaps slightly overshadowed in comparison to the 2008 alongside. (2883 views) | | | Tasted by acyso on 1/21/2018 & rated 93 points: Vatan (2002 rouge, 2004-12) (Chicago, IL): This is the first wine where I found a little touch of sauvignon blanc grassiness on the palate. But that's all held in check by the ripe elements here. There's an almondy note that pokes out here as well, but unlike so many other aldehydic elements in wine, this one doesn't seem to be bitter. (2885 views) | | | Tasted by Vinomane on 9/18/2017: Still a baby at age 10. Very pale with a greenish tinge. Complex fruit and minerality are hinted, not shouted. Acidity is held very much in restraint. Will allow my only other bottle 5 years to develop full expression. Potentially (94). (2296 views) | | | Tasted by d'Artagnan on 6/29/2017 & rated 92 points: Un nez citronné qui m'évoquait spontanément un riesling ...
Belle pureté, c'est sec, frais, de belle longueur, c'est fin et élégant. Pas le plus long, mais c'est large et salin, un pur délice. 92-93 pts
Beaucoup mieux que ma dernière expérience. (2478 views) | | | Tasted by sebastienjm on 3/26/2017 & rated 91 points: Quelle curiosité... je crois qu'à l'aveugle j'aurais parié sur un grûner veltliner de la wachau... Il ne ressemble à aucun sancerre que j'ai pu boire. C'est citroné et assez vert/végétal au nez - mais pas le végétal herbacé du sauvignon - avec un beau volume en bouche et une finale avec une fine amertume, très curieux, mais bon (2485 views) | | | Tasted by Nick4378 on 1/20/2017 & rated 94 points: This is totally in the zone. Added some heft with air. Beautiful floral nose. Citrus lemon, lime, grapefruit with mint. little bit of wooliness revealed itself after time. Drink up. This is in a very good spot (2667 views) | | | Tasted by gblacave on 11/2/2016 flawed bottle: DOA. VA dominated with a weird sweet characteristic. Unfortunate. (2929 views) | | | Tasted by AV2012 on 7/4/2016 & rated 92 points: Looking for best Sauvignon blanc: So very clean and almost steely after all the rich Dagueneau wines we had. Nettle on the nose, flinty character, like a 1er Cru Chablis. Lots of tart green apple, juicy and saliva inducing, but underripe. Give it time. (3673 views) | | | Tasted by d'Artagnan on 10/27/2015 & rated 89 points: Souper Pango à Montréal (Restaurant Tandem): Le nez me paraissait un brin fatigué. La bouche est droite et fait très Sancerre, d'une année moins riche que d'autres, ce qui m'a fait dire 2007. C'est minéral, salin, avec un arôme étrange en finale que j'avais du mal à définir (salin-mouillé dit Michel, pas fou). J'ai trouvé qu'il manquait un peu de dimension, mais c'est bon. 89-90 pts (3847 views) | | | Tasted by mjf@ulkner on 8/1/2015 & rated 95 points: Any remaining angularity has been smoothed over the past couple of years. Demure, elegant, perfectly balanced. The perfect expression of Sauvignon Blanc- one of the best whites we've consumed this year. (3613 views) | | | Tasted by Vinomane on 7/14/2015 & rated 93 points: Finally settling into maturity, and a glorious maturity it will be. Compared to the ordinary Sancerre, like Domingo compared to your local church choir soloist. Wierd in youth, all over the place, a gangling adolescent, but now settling down for 20 years of profundity. Every element of great Sancerre is chiseled, etched, raised to the third power -- cubed, as it were. (3551 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Edmond VatanSome winemakers are producers. A few are truly artisans. And then there are that handful who could perhaps be best described as monastic in their approach-making wine, as their duty, in complete harmony with their creator. With Vatan, I find it preposterous to "judge" vintages. Literally, no matter what the conditions of the year, whatever he creates is remarkable, with amazing consistency from vintage to vintage. When asked how he can do this, he replies that it is so simple a matter that it needs no explanation-if you plant low-yielding vines on only the steepest, perfectly exposed slopes, prune severely, provide only necessary and natural treatments, (and as little as possible, forcing the vine down for strength and character), harvesting after all the rest have finished (no problem finding pickers then!) and vinifying according only to the traditional (actually ancient) methods-it becomes a question of comparing the personality of each vintage, not which is "better". What is this word "ancient" I use Vinification in old, old barrels-a natural vessel, but not with new oak, which would interfere with the natural fruit of the Sauvignon and terroir of Chavignol; one racking, and then bottling with no fining or filtration when the conditions are perfect in nature. If this sounds too out-moded to be true, you are in for an experience with your first taste. A unique wine which is unequalled, and only approached in Sancerre by the Cotat Domaine, which is enormous in comparison to Vatan (total production 500 cases, of which we in America get 125). The Pinot Rouge vines are also situated on the Mont Damnes, treated organically, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. There is no manipulation of the fermentation either (like must-heating or a pre-fermentation maceration), so this may not always be the darkest colored Pinot, but it is a marvel of complexity, terroir, and finesse. 150 cases a year produced.Sauvignon Blanc Varietal CharacterClos la Néore On weinlagen-infoFrance Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comLoire Valley Vins du Val de Loire (Interprofession des Vins du Val de Loire)
Jancis Robinson vintage reports
Wine Spectator vintage reports
Wine Scholar Guild vintage reports
2016 vintage:
"Quality and concentration is good, with Chenin Blanc being particularly noteworthy in 2016 while Sancerre is thought to be the best of the Sauvignon Blanc appellations. Cabernet Franc is 'delicious, ripe and fruity' according to Loire courtier Chris Hardy." - Jancis Roninson
2017 vintage reports:
Jancis Robinson
Vinfolio
"2018 wines will not be typical of the Loire rather they will have the characteristics of wines from much further south" - Philippe Gilbert
2019 vintage:
Academie du Vin report
"the warm 2019 vintage is characterised by a surprising freshness" - Jim Budd
Vineyards on weinagen-infoSancerre Map on weinlagen.info |
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