December 14, 2019 - Brilliant Chenin from the oft unheralded appellation - this was a highly expressive wine that has moved beyond the exuberance of youth into a deeply concentrated, intriguing stage of development. Closel produces the wine from biodynamic vineyards at its Château des Vaults estate, allowing native yeast fermentation and lees aging to provide the wine its undeniably appealing character. A wide spectrum came through on this, from green melon and mandarin, to overripe pineapple and bruised apple, to honeycomb, lemongrass, and linseed oil. On day 2, the wine gave an intense combination of truffle honey and shaved parmesan (reminiscent of my fav pizza, incidently) before easing back to subtler fennel, almond, and caramel. Acidity balanced perfectly with the palate, and gave promise of many years to come (as one would expect). Why do we not drink more Savennières??
July 31, 2018 - Nose of beeswax and yellow/orange flowers. A pleasing chemical tang, too, on the nose. Electrified honey on the palate. I'd call this dry with an off-dry leaning, my wife calls it off-dry.
January 25, 2018 - A deep golden yellow greets the glass and the eye. Delightful. The nose is rich with honey, white grapefruit, lemon marmalade, and white floral blossoms. The diesel detected last fall has been shed for honeysuckle and tangerine. A finish of almond and anise eventually overtakes the palate and carries away the finish. A full, pleasing mouthfeel. Clean and precise with everything in place and nothing out of balance. 13.5% alc. With garlic shrimp in a tomato and cannellini stew. Highly Recommended.
September 28, 2017 - A deep golden yellow greets the glass and the eye. Delightful. The nose is rich with honey, white grapefruit, marmalade, diesel and white floral blossoms. Each element of the nose punches through on the palate. “Punches” may be too harsh a word, but certainly each scent translates into a distinct, discernable flavor that wash across the palate in a seemingly endless attack and mid-palate that lingers quite awhile. Eventually, the finish comes into view. Almond and anise take control of the finish. The mouthfeel is full and rich. The wine is rather charming. 13.5% alc. With roasted chicken breasts with fennel, leeks and rosemary. Highly Recommended.
March 31, 2016 - The nose springs with tangerine, pear, almond and diesel. The diesel is just an element and does not dominate at all. The core is ripe and crunchy with a distinct richness to the mouthfeel. The medium length finish displays both the white fruits and a hit of diesel lending to a complexity not really expected from this wine. 13.5% alc. With shrimp and grits. Recommended.
February 23, 2016 - Litt appelsinskall og noe maling, karamell eller kanskje rett og slett bearnaise. Litt tørr munnfølelse og noe saltsmak. Nokså insisterende vin, satser ikke på sjarmen denne her. Men åpner seg litt etterhvert. Panelet er delt: Kristin liker den ikke (skjønt hun syns den blir bedre med luft), Dag er ganske fornøyd - men produsenten sier det er en aperitifvin med god friskhet, og begge er enige om at det ikke stemmer.
January 9, 2016 - Klar, M- intens, sitrungul mot gyllen på farge. Ren, M intens, under utvikling. Rik aroma av honning, bivoks, gul stenfrukt (nektarin), gule epler og moden sitrusfrukt, samt lett røyktone under. Tørr men saftig i anslaget med smak av gule epler, nektarin, honning og mineraler. Fremtredende syre, uten å bli for dominant. Rik vin med god konsentrasjon. M+ lengde, med syrlig og mineralsk finish. Deilig vin.
January 3, 2016 - Drukket med tette bihuler og uten full konsentrasjon. Derfor ingen karakter på denne vinen, som er den første Chenin B jeg drikker som bevisst vindrikker. Duftbildet er tydelig prega av honning. Vinen har merkbar sødme, og medium minus syre, og faktisk river den litt på tunga slik som tanninrik rødvin. Er det fra fatlagring? Honningaromaen er veldig tydelig også i munnen i tillegg til noe som minner meg Sauternes. Det er nok edeltåten som jeg ser andre nevne. Dette er en kompleks vin som jadde krevd mer oppmerksomhet enn jeg hadde i kveld. Den smigrer meg ikke i senk. Samtidig aner jeg at det er mye spennende å oppdage her framover.
December 13, 2015 - Tasted immediately after opening. Medium straw colour. On the nose; citrus fruit, yellow apples, honey, floral perfume, dry soil and spices – noticeable, but not intrusive oak. On the palate; sweet fruit, dense texture, fresh acidity, respectable concentration and length. Very enjoyable – balance seems to improve with a bit of air, suggesting that it might be even better a couple of years down the line. Impressive QPR!
November 16, 2015 - druetypisk, old school chenin med sitrus, blomst, kvann og mineraler på duft. Noe assosiasjoner til lett oksidert sauvignon. Ganske søt start, deretter kommer syra. Best etter 2 dager åpnet i kjøleskap.