Community Tasting Note
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vintage_whine wrote:
October 20, 2022 - was expecting something more natural, but the small amount of sulfur in play here was wisely chosen, along with the wise pick date that keeps the fruit in a perfectly succulent state without any sense of being overripe despite 14% on the bottle (7C). 15 minutes later the ethyl acetate pokes out, and we get wallpaper glue and green guava and pineapple, you know the stuff that drives hipsters wild. what also builds is the sense of power, at first opening, i was underwhelmed, and thankful I paid 85€ instead of the normal retail price, bc this wine seemed unremarkable in terms of concentration or intensity, but it is a very big wine and needs some air to make that statement. it's also is completely in line with other wines at the 85€ mark from savennieres, and id be hard pressed to justify the hype that pushes the price to $300-$400. The finish has caramelized and smoky notes which is the only place where the oak shows its presence, its brown-toned and savory. but again, the EA and VA are jarring and ruin what would be an otherwise lovely experience. for all the othr folks that adore this wine simply because of its fame, well , it doesnt take much brains to do that, but lets call this what it is, natural wine, with fantastic terroir that is barely managed by an idealist winemaker. there is even a slight tinge of residual gas but the VA squeezes the throat on every swallow and you have to wince just a bit (more if you've paid full price). at 30 min, the red fruit component to the nose comes out, and you notice the red raspberry component and the pine resin, just like in a great jurancon sec from souch (1/10th the price). At the end of the day we're left to conclude that there are great terroir in Anjou for dry Chenin that have traditionally been used for sweet, but in this bottle youre paying for the vigneron but enjoying the terroir. this is not a unique phenomenon. 1 hr in, still VA and EA, with brown caramelized apple tones, and interestingly the hollow thinness of the wine that was apparent at openeing returns. meh. emperor.new.clothes
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4 Comments
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Jonathan A A commented:
10/21/22, 7:32 AM - There is zero sulfur since 2011 fyi
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vintage_whine commented:
10/25/22, 6:32 AM - No sulfur added will never mean no sulfur. It’s a matter of yeast metabolism. But more to the point, I’ve learned there’s what a vigneron says they do, and what my nose tells me they actually do. I trust me.
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Jonathan A A commented:
10/25/22, 6:39 AM - Good for you. I trust Richard Leroy, a vigneron I have met, making wine for 20 years, rather than an anonymous person on the internet. And yes I meant no sulfur added. I know all wine in the world contains naturally occurring sulfites, thanks for that.
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vintage_whine commented:
10/25/22, 7:00 AM - That’s the funny thing about forums like this place, isn’t it? You never know when you “correcting” the tasting notes of someone who has made multiple vintages of chenin in the Loire and who is also a master sommelier. I’ve personally found reading other people’s first hand experience of a wine to be humbling. Regardless. Thank you for reading through my tasting impressions!