Wine & Spirits - April 2021 - 107

Focus
Loire Wines
WHITE

brighten up an overcast spring beach day. §
Vintus, NY
523285

CHENIN BLANC
523284

93 | Dom. des Baumard

$55

2016 Savennières Clos du Papillon ^ Jean
Baumard and Florent, his son, oversee 110
acres of vineyards in Anjou, including these
in the Clos du Papillon, a south- and southeast-facing hillside overlooking the Loire.
This wine layers savory button mushroom
notes over a smoky meatiness. Its deep yellow flavors of pineapple energize the wine
with freshness, a concentrated Savennières
to serve with a selection of cheeses before or
after dinner. § Vintus, NY
523808

92 | Thierry Germain

$71

2018 Saumur Clos du Moulin ^ Thierry Germain farms all of his holdings under biodynamics-including the 2.4-acre, Biodyvincertified parcel that provides this fruit, where
80-year-old vines grow in sand, clay and
limestone. He ferments the juice in 600-liter
demi-muids and ages it in 288-liter foudres,
pointing up the smoky, funky, forest-floor
aromas of this waxy white. It's savory, with
leesy brioche and snappy almond flesh notes.
Then faint golden-delicious apple flavors
come through in the eleventh hour, bringing fruit back into the mix. A savory match
for aged charcuterie. § Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
523283

91 | Dom. des Baumard

Our blind panels tasted 189 new-release
Loire Wines wines for this issue. Corey
Warren, our critic for Loire Wines wines,
rated 54 as exceptional (90+) and 16 as
Best Buys. Find a complete list of wines
tasted and all reviews at
wineandspiritsmagazine.com.

$55

2018 Savennières Clos du Papillon ^ The
Baumards describe 2018 as a " gentle " season, and free of spring frosts. The wine has
some sharp edges at first, then deepens as it
turns toward warm golden fruit and spiced
richness on the finish. Pour it with a mushroom risotto. § Vintus, NY
523305

90 | Vignobles Denis

$23

90 | Thierry Germain

$45

90 | Les Pierres Ecrites

$18

90 | Pithon-Paillé

$35

2018 Anjou Chenin (Best Buy) ^ Brothers Stéphane and Julien oversee this estate
along with their cousin, Vincent. Their 2018
Anjou offers creamy, oak-spiced overtones
that almost hide the freshness-orchard fruit
with a pear-skin bite-but the detail shines
through on the finish. The richness can stand
up to the spice of a Thai curry. § The Artisan
Collection, NY
523810
2018 Saumur L'Insolite ^ From a parcel of
90-year-old chenin vines, this wine ferments
and ages in 1200-liter foudres, where it develops a leesy tannic bite-pineapple skin and
something wild, like a jungle of rubber trees.
Those tannins give focus to the flavors, resulting in a lasting, unique chenin with the scents
of just-proofed, unpunched brioche. § Kermit
Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
523288

523805

94 | Catherine & Pierre
Breton

$38

2018 Vouvray Pierres Rousses ^ The Bretons have farmed with biodynamic practices
since 1994, after earning organic certification in 1991. For this cuvée, they've passed
along the winemaking keys to their son, Paul,
who selected this fruit from 55-year-old vines
growing in clay and flint soils. His 2018 combines energy and weight so it feels centrifugal, like the last spin on a hammer toss. Its
richness layers almond skin, marzipan and
pastry crust scents. Behind the confectionary
notes, there's yellow fruit and spiced apple
with a lightly floral finish. The yeastiness
feels natural and healthy, like a prized sourdough starter at a rural bakery. § Kermit Lynch
Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA

2018 Montlouis sur Loire Petits Boulay
(Best Buy) ^ Coralie and Anthony Rassin hope
to gain organic certification for their 20-acre
estate in 2021. They ferment and age this
chenin in tank with its lees, where it takes on
a flinty minerality. Give it air and the flavors
turn toward spiced applesauce and lemon
curd. § V.O.S. Selections, NY
523287

$35

2018 Anjou Mozaïk Chenin Blanc ^ Colored as deeply golden as it tastes, this places
lightly floral, zippy citrus fruit over a firm
foundation. Its rich melony core has a tinge
of salinity, the way southerners salt their honeydew. Drink it next to a vichyssoise to warm
up a cold February day. § Vintus, NY
523281

2018 Savennières ^ Most of the grapes for this
wine come from the 15-acres Clos Saint-Yves
vineyard, between the Clos du Papillon and
La Roche Aux Moines. Fresh and savory, this
wine has a saline finish with lemon-thyme
scents that-next to some crab legs-would

2019 Coteaux du Vendômois Tradition
(Best Buy) ^ Yellow apple and mushroom
layer with apricot notes, never quite integrating, but the separate parts are plenty tasty. §
Regal Wine Imports, Moorestown, NJ

91 | Dom. des Baumard

VOUVRAY

88 | Domaine Brazilier

$15

523298

94 | Saget La Perrière

$23

WINE & SPIRITS

107

2017 Vouvray Marie de Beauregard ^
This cuvée ferments without added yeasts
and ages in second- and third-use barrels.
The scents of rosemary and cedar make it
immediately interesting, while the intense,
crunchy apple flavors keep it classically Vouvray. The texture is driven by its sweetness,
though the floral acidity remains refreshing,
the tension between the two creating a soft,
quicksand depth to the wine. § Taub Family
Selections, Boca Raton, FL
523303
APRIL 2021

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Wine & Spirits - April 2021

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