2016 Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny Les Mémoires

Community Tasting Notes (10) Avg Score: 92.2 points

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  2/25/2024 - keram_koszalin Likes this wine: 94 Points

  This is a wine of texture. The nose is enchanting with a hint of blackcurrant and a little barnyard-like reduction. The palate features some ripe cherries and redcurrant.
  
  But the fruit is not the point here. It's all about the texture. You enjoy it across front mid and back palate, all at once. These sweet, acid and savory notes are perfectly balanced, no single one dominates. The tannins are well integrated and smooth like a finest silk.
  
  This is a masterpiece. I almost never buy the same wine twice, but I ordered more bottles of this one the very next day.
  
  Enjoy it with fine delicate meat, like a beef tenderloin.
  
  Decanted for 30 minutes, but probably a better idea is to pop and pour into a burgundy glass and enjoy the journey.

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  2/24/2023 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Quite a similar nose to the FDP, but with some white pepper and herbs. The taste is similar too, but with blackcurrant and pepper on top, plus a much more tannic structure and greater intensity. Clearly one for the long term, it is approachable now but will certainly be an outstanding wine in another five to ten years.

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  5/8/2022 - SB5784 Likes this wine: 92 Points

  From magnum. Rich, dark purple / black in color. Nose of fresh blackberry, pencil shavings, with notes of smoke and some secondary spices. Still quite primary and fruit driven, but a really lovely fragrance. Palate is a bit dryer than the nose suggests, but with good body and a soft, silky texture. Black fruits dominate, but with good mineral tones and acidity. This is young, but drinking well. The old vines show through for sure. Would be fun to revisit this in a decade.

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  6/11/2021 - apple1813 Likes this wine: 92 Points

  2016 Domaine des Roches Neuves Les Mémoires was expressive, juicy and layered. The youthful Saumur-Champigny was clear and medium ruby in colour with traces of fine sediments. Given two hours of in-bottle aeration, it opened up impressive aromatics of blackberry, violet and mint, followed by farmyard and a touch of enhancing pyrazine.
  
  The mouthfeel was dry and medium-bodied, with medium level of fine tannin and high level of fresh salivating acidity. Flavours of bramble, crushed flowers, graphite and wet stone minerals lingered in a long delineated finish. The alcohol level was at 12.5%. The wine was certified organic and biodynamic.
  
  Compared to the 2015 vintage of the same label, the 2016 showed more vibrant acidity and mineral sensations. In addition, the earthiness of natural/biodynamic wine and the slight herbaceousness of Loire Breton were more noticeable.

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  5/22/2020 - Will Devize wrote: 94 Points

  Beautiful colour. Deep ruby core with lighter violet hues at the rim. It shimmers in the glass. Complex nose showing smoky nuances of mint, leather and blackcurrant. The 2+ hrs in the decanter has allowed it to open up a little but the impression is still of a dense and tight wine. It is like the basic R-N on steroids. Authentic and pure expression of Loire cab. franc. Supple with such silky tannins. Has a very sensual and communicative feel and seems incredibly well made. It's too young to drink now and really needs a minimum of 5 more years in the cellar. Very impressive wine with serious potential.

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