Community Tasting Notes 5

• oxidatif wrote:

  November 11, 2023 - Chenin Chenin Chenin; 11/10/2023-11/12/2023: #9 Wow what a nose. Apricot lemon honey. Fuuuuuck this smells good. Follows through. More apricot lemon honey, good acid, nice chalky minerality on the finish. This was my first real “oh my god Chenin can taste like this?” wine and I’m so happy it holds up to my memory of loving it.

  1 person found this helpful Comment

• bevetroppo Likes this wine: 91 points

  April 9, 2022 - I have formally given up trying to parse Loire wine labels. This bottle, the '18, does not say Roches Neuves anywhere, and interestingly, the wine itself doesn't even appear on the producer website (anymore?). I kind of thought L'Insolite was a brand name, but it just means "unusual" in French and appears on dozens of other wines from all over France. The only thing unusual about this wine's nomenclature would be if it weren't confusing, which sadly it is.
  
  Thierry Germain (imported by Kermit Lynch) is a paragon of biodynamics and this chenin is allegedly from 90 year old vines (which if true, I would agree is unusual.). The color is a bright gold, the nose redolent of yellow fruits, citrus especially lime and what I would describe as lanolin, both rich and sour at the same time. Are there sheep on the property :-)?
  
  Substantial presence on the palate, nuanced, full of flavor yet resolves in a taut, dry mineral finish. I drank it with a simple Chilean sea bass baked with lemon and garlic and they really got along well. The rich textures were complementary and the acid cut through the "fatness" of the sea bass encouraging another bite. That's not adding L'Insolite to injury!
  
  There are 6 user opinions as I write indicating a drinking window through 2025. I see this easily going another 5-10 years and will probably buy a few more bottles to test the theory.

  2 people found this helpful Comment

• buffo Likes this wine: 90 points

  February 5, 2022 - Golden colour. Nose typical CB, wet wool. Mouth: tropical fruit, eucalyptus. High acidity of course, some oak, good length. Very drinkable now.

  Comment

• Klugi Wine wrote: 91 points

  June 1, 2021 - Enjoyable bouquet of spring flowers, peaches and some underlying mineral saltiness. Medium bodied, I guess this wine can easily develop for another decade.

  Comment

• Sean Tay Likes this wine: 93 points

  December 8, 2020 - Toasty, tropical fruit or ripe fruit, high acidity, long finish, pronounced nose and flavour,

  Comment

Pro Reviews 2

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2018
• Type White
• Producer Domaine des Roches Neuves
• Varietal Chenin Blanc
• Designation L'Insolite
• Vineyard n/a
• Country France
• Region Loire Valley
• SubRegion Anjou-Saumur
• Appellation Saumur
• UPC Code 7070292826216

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 3 (1%)
• In Cellars 112 (50%)
• Consumed 108 (48%)

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