Community Tasting Note

• csimm wrote: 96 points

  May 5, 2023 - There's a noble nose on this Chenin that sports a whiff of the exotic at first, but then rolls right into freshly cut honeydew, warm honey, and even the slightest hint of petrol aromas. It smells kinda like a fruit salad at the Four Seasons in Bora Bora on the deck of your overwater bungalow that is prepared by a dude named Jacques Pierre Francois Chevalier; he's wearing a tuxedo but he never sweats, because he is just that smooth.
  
  The attack on this thing is like a Swiss Special Forces Army Reconnaissance Detachment: regimented, polished, Zoolander-ishly handsome ("being really, really, ridiculously good looking"), and effortless in a way that you know is anything but elementary. Every component is beautiful and deliberate. Notes of tangerine, white melon, lychee, lemon verbena, pineapple rind, and the essence of a Beckham kid's lemonade stand in the Cotswolds.
  
  Where this specimen really reaches elite status is actually AFTER you take your first sip, because it's in the gorgeously seductive aftereffects when the execution really begins to take hold. The finish is a true Cersei Lannister creeper, lingering and captivating. You can't stop experiencing it even if you wanted to. If you're busy flapping your jaws and stuffing your facehole with Flamin' Hot Cheetos, you might miss the extra layers of flavor that continue to build even when you think you're done with your swallow.
  
  I know this all sounds horribly Kinsman fanboy of me and all, but the subtleties in this Chenin are just as compelling as its more conspicuous elements, and a thing that can encapsulate both nuance and sensation is a thing to which one should pay attention.
  
  Drink it now just cuz you can't help yourself, or hold for a bit. I have no doubt there is even more complexity to come. It'll be one of those bottles you wished you hung on to for a decade but know full well your bottles aren't lasting beyond this summer. Oh, and don't be a goober like me and serve it too cold. The flavors especially glide when they rise slightly above cellar temperature.

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18 Comments

• Decanting Queen commented:

  5/6/23, 6:27 AM - Wow wow wow. The wine and your review. I will be re-reading aloud for entertainment when I open my bottle.

• csimm commented:

  5/6/23, 8:05 AM - DQ! I look forward to hearing your take on this. Obviously I’m a fan. I’ve saved some (part under gas) to follow over a bit of time to see how it evolves.

• Cristal2000 commented:

  5/6/23, 8:32 AM - Absolute Kinsman FANBOY! Lol. Nice short story as always!

• csimm commented:

  5/6/23, 8:59 AM - I tried to keep it under a 10,000 word count this time.

• tyfabes commented:

  5/6/23, 9:14 AM - Hard to not be a Kinsman fanboy! Wonderful review, will be opening this one tonight! I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of Jacques Pierre Francois Chevalier.

• csimm commented:

  5/6/23, 9:34 AM - Can't wait for others' reviews to come in on this. Let us know how tonight goes! Jacques Pierre Francois Chevalier will arrive at your bungalow promptly at 5:05PM.

• MJP Hou TX commented:

  5/6/23, 12:05 PM - You have keen palate and fun way of disseminating tasting notes like no other. I would have opened this last night but there was to many glasses in the room to be sharing a wine so rare. I consider myself to be generous but I have to draw the line somewhere!

• csimm commented:

  5/6/23, 3:12 PM - Haha MJP. I’m with you. I’m just too darn impatient. Story of my life :)

• #1Winelover commented:

  5/7/23, 4:51 AM - My wife loves white wine and interesting varietals (aka - no chard). I poured this for her and she stopped in her tracks, asking "what the hell is this?" As she continued sipping with a smile on her face!

• MJP Hou TX commented:

  5/7/23, 5:28 AM - Interesting whites is another rabbit hole I keep trending towards along with Champagne. A recent group tasting of Spanish wines yielded some standouts like Lopez de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Vina Tondonia. Those wines are absolutely transformation in my opinion. South African Chenin from Sadie Family is another region producer I'm being encouraged to explore.
  
  What are your wife's favorites?

• csimm commented:

  5/7/23, 10:23 AM - This is definitely a good alternative to Chardonnay. White Rhone and Champagne (of course!!) have always been go-tos for me. Chenin has been hit/miss. Nice to have a domestic alternative here with Aberro.
  
  I will say that this Chenin with spicy food was a little overpowered. It seemed best with more delicate fare. The wine isn’t delicate, but some of its best nuances were masked a bit by Harissa Salmon, for example … just FYI :)

• Wubai commented:

  5/7/23, 5:25 PM - Thanks for the early tasting note. And now I really need to go use my employee rate at Bora Bora.

• csimm commented:

  5/7/23, 5:29 PM - If you have an employee rate at the 4 Seasons Bora Bora, then you my friend are a true baller! We only stayed at the St Regis… and could only afford to eat fruit salad :)

• gymnastpro commented:

  5/8/23, 9:15 AM - Planned on opening one for a friend who loves chenin, but like I suspected it seems way too young to open now. I might fold though ha.

• csimm commented:

  5/8/23, 9:19 AM - No question some time in bottle will bring about further evolution and complexity. If you have more than one, it won't disappoint now. It is definitely an enjoyable drink even in its current youthful state.

• gymnastpro commented:

  5/8/23, 4:07 PM - I have 2... May just pop why because why not! Decisions Decisions...

• Decanting Queen commented:

  5/10/23, 3:33 AM - Only the St Regis….lol. You were practically camping.

• csimm commented:

  5/10/23, 9:56 AM - I like to 'rough it' every now and then just to remember my roots :)

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