Re: [wine] Savennieres - Chenin from Loire's Anjou

In response to yesterday's posting on Savennières: Savennières holds that hallowed place in my esteem as THE still table white that I would choose to take with me to a deserted island and I enjoy every chance I have at a glass of nervy Chenin Blanc from Savennières because nothing compares to its depth of flavor and beguiling aromas. Although I haven't had the pleasure of many of the Savennières mentioned in the article, I urge the curious to explore any Savennières because they pay great dividends whether opened this weekend or a decade from now -we're talking that sappy verve that so few wines ever achieve. Some of this may have to do with Biodynamic viticulture but that should not cloud the reality that this is gifted terroir that seems perfectly suited to the Chenin Blanc variety. In terms of Savennières from Nicolas Joly, Artisan Vineyards.com currently has 6 bottles of 2004 Clos de la Bergerie, 12 bottles of the 2005 Clos de la Bergerie, and 6 bottles of the 2005 Les Clos Sacres. Another renowned Savennières is Baumard. Running over with character, Baumard Savennières should not be missed -but perhaps I should suggest you try others first; the Oxford Wine Companion explains "Domaines des Baumard makes some of the best Savennières, but this is a wine for intellectuals, not neophytes." With all that said, I still know many whose first Savennières was Baumard and who were smitten from the very start. In terms of Baumard, Artisan Vineyards possesses 23 bottles of the 2005 Baumard Savennières and 7 bottles of the 375ml bottles of the 2002 Baumard Savennières. Interested in snapping up the last bottles? You can find them here but call me first to make sure they're still in stock. Our online stock is not immediately live but instead updated each night. I'm more than happy field any questions. For Nicolas Joly: http://www.artisanvineyards.com/Winery/?id=298 For Baumard: http://www.artisanvineyards.com/Winery/?ID=54 Be sure to then click through to the second page so you can see all Baumard's wines -and if you enjoy sparkling Rose, try Baumard's Le Rose -delightful wine for garden parties, brunches, picnics and boating parties. I wish you a happy hunt and thank you for reading of one individuals obsession with Savennières. If any of you know of a good source for other Savennières, please be in touch; I need more in my life. Much obliged, Nicholas D. Livingston Arbiter Bibendi Artisan Vineyards 425 West Minnehaha Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55103 Office: 1-866-565-5854 Mobile: (612) 387 1386 nicholas(a)artisanvineyards.com Fine wine online at www.artisanvineyards.com P Please consider the environment before printing this email. -----Original Message----- From: wine-bounces(a)thebarn.com [mailto:wine-bounces@thebarn.com] On Behalf Of Jim L. Ellingson Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 4:10 PM To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Savennieres - Chenin from Loire's Anjou Anyone ever had one of these? Cheers, Jim May 21, 2010 Savennières, a Demanding Wine Worth the Work By ERIC ASIMOV SAVENNIÈRES is a demanding wine. The characteristics that make it so distinctive and beautiful require attention and thought, which is perhaps more effort than many people would wish to devote to a beverage. But that is the tradeoff. Savennières, from the Anjou region of the Loire Valley, is intense and austere, and not quickly accessible. Unlike Sancerre, its Loire cousin, which comes with an easy Cliffs Notes explanation . It.s just sauvignon blanc! . Savennières does not lend itself to the sort of high-concept simplification-by-analogy that can appease the puzzlement of studio executives and wine novices alike. Sure, one could describe Savennières as 100 percent chenin blanc, but what does that get you? Chenin blanc is one of the most underrated and underappreciated grapes in the world, achieving greatness only in the Loire Valley, though promising wines do come from South Africa and isolated pockets of the United States. Many people may have heard of Vouvray, a chenin blanc wine from the Touraine region of the Loire east of Savennières , but I doubt many people can summon an impression of what the wines are like. Even if Vouvray were to strike a flash of recognition, it offers a very different expression of chenin blanc than Savennières. Vouvray is generally easier and friendlier, less of a cerebral wine than Savennières. I don.t mean to suggest that some consumers don.t have the ability to appreciate Savennières. Not at all. I.m just saying that it is not for everybody. It can.t be. Very few producers make Savennières, and only small amounts are available. But if you decide to try it, and are patient enough to savor a bottle over the course of a meal, the pleasures of Savennières are many. What makes this wine singular? To ponder that, the wine panel recently sampled 20 bottles of Savennières. Florence Fabricant and I were joined by Michael Madrigale, the sommelier at Bar Boulud, and Pascaline Lepeltier, the wine director at Rouge Tomate on the East Side of Manhattan. Pascaline, by the way, is from the City of Angers, on which the Anjou region is centered, so Savennières is essentially her hometown wine. To illustrate how hard it is to obtain Savennières, our 20 bottles came from only 12 producers. And, while we sought the most recent vintages available, we found only five bottles from 2007 and five from 2006. We were compelled to include seven bottles from 2005, one from 2004 and two from 2003. The various vintages made for a less-than-level playing field for the tasting. The .03 and .05 vintages, for example, showed quite a bit more warmth than the others. But the 20 bottles we put together were an accurate reflection of what consumers would find exploring retail outlets. Great Savennières offers a spectrum of unusual flavors. Our No. 1 bottle, for example, the 2007 Les Clos Sacrés from Nicolas Joly, reminded us of beeswax, citrus and spice, with a mineral, saline quality thrown in for good measure. Combine this with the floral, honeysuckle edge that I often find in chenin blanc, and a texture that is typically and paradoxically rich, viscous and wonderfully light, and you have one complex, unconventional wine that is a long way from chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. We agreed that these wines practically demand to be served with food. They are also excellent candidates for decanting, as the air seems to help bring the flavors to life. In fact, Nicolas Joly recommends opening bottles of his wine a full 48 hours before serving, not really a practical notion, especially if you encounter a bottle in a restaurant. Joly, the most prominent Savennières producer, accounted for 3 of our top 10 bottles, all from the 2007 vintage. The Joly Clos de la Bergerie, our No. 3 wine, seemed less complex than the Clos Sacrés, but shared its balance, liveliness and rich texture. The Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant, our No. 8 wine, might be the most complex of the three, but we were a bit put off by the heat from the high alcohol content, 15 percent. In fact, all three Joly wines were at 15 percent, the highest in the tasting, although we could really detect excess alcohol only in the Coulée de Serrant. I asked Virginie Joly, Nicolas.s daughter, who now makes the wines, about the high alcohol. She responded that with the warmer climate, the grapes develop a higher level of sugar before they are fully ripe, hence the higher alcohol. Frankly, I find the alcohol level a bit disquieting. While Nicolas Joly is the most prominent Savennières producer, and incidentally a global spokesman for the virtues of biodynamic viticulture, other excellent bottles are out there. We loved the vibrant, elegant 2006 Clos de la Marche from Domaine du Petit Métris, a producer with which I was unfamiliar. And while prices rose as high as $93 for the .07 Coulée de Serrant, our best value at a mere $20 was our No. 4 wine, the lovely 2007 Château d.Épiré. Each of the wines in our top 10 has something to recommend it, though we had a marked preference for the younger wines . all five of the .07 Savennières made our top 10. Aside from some of the older bottles in our tasting, which seemed tired, we rejected a few that seemed overwhelmed by the flavors of new oak, and a few others that seemed to have an unpleasant lactic quality. Nonetheless, Savennières can age beautifully. Not so long ago I enjoyed a beautiful 2002 Joly Clos Sacrés, which still has many years ahead of it. Pascaline was impressed with the bottles we liked, but nonetheless expressed some disappointment. .They can do so much better with this terroir,. she lamented, suggesting that some of the viticulture and winemaking were not doing justice to the great potential of these wines. I was curious how Michael and Pascaline presented such distinctive wines in their restaurants. Clearly, Savennières is not your typical by-the-glass pour. .I almost think it.s our duty to recommend these wines,. Michael said. .They all have personality.. Well, I.m not sure recommending wine is ever a duty. But it is a pleasure. Top 10 Savennières Nicolas Joly Savennières $52 ... 1/2 Les Clos Sacrés 15 percent 2007 Rich and round yet focused with lingering waxy, mineral, saline, citrus and spice flavors. (Domaine Select Wine Estates, New York) Domaine du Petit Métris Savennières $28 ... Clos de la Marche 13.6 percent 2006 Elegant, lively and vibrant with classic aromas and flavors of honeysuckle and minerals. (Boutique Wine Collection, Philadelphia) Nicolas Joly Savennières $53 ... Roches-aux-Moines Clos de la Bergerie 15 percent 2007 Full-bodied yet balanced with rich texture and flavors of flowers, honey and minerals. (Domaine Select Wine Estates) BEST VALUE Château d.Épiré Savennières $20 ... 13.5 percent 2007 Deep and complex with beautiful floral and wax aromas. (Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants, Berkeley, Calif.) Domaine Laffourcade Savennières $26 .. 1/2 2006 12.5 percent Complex, textured and harmonious with herbal, spice and mineral flavors. (Langdon Shiverick, Cleveland) Domaine des Deux Vallées Savennières $22 .. 1/2 14 percent 2007 Lovely aromas of minerals and honeysuckle; viscous texture yet light. (The Wine List, New York) Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant $93 .. 1/2 15 percent 2007 Waxy, wooly, spicy flavors; potentially profound but showing heat from alcohol. (Domaine Select Wine Estates) Jo Pithon Savennières $23 .. 1/2 La Croix Picot 13 percent 2005 Dry and complex with lingering fruit and mineral flavors (Elite Wines, Lorton, Va.) Damien Laureau Savennières $28 .. Cuvée les Genêts 14 percent 2005 Quite closed down, but complex mineral and citrus aromas indicate it will blossom. (Jon-David Headrick Selections, Asheville, N.C.) Domaine du Closel Savennières $28 .. Clos du Papillon 14.5 percent 2005 Attractive waxy, mineral and saline flavors with a touch of heat from alcohol. (Louis/Dressner Selections, New York) -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *