Chateau d'Epire Savennieres Cuvee Speciale 2017
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The medley of pear, white flowers, and juicy pineapple typical of Savennières gains in complexity in the Spéciale thanks to a selection of grapes from top parcels and a half-year spent in chestnut demi-muids.
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Wine Spectator
Clear and precise, with a distinctive velvety texture that caresses the palate, while flavors of apple, lemon curd and thyme combine. Salted butter details linger on the long, savory finish. Best from 2020 through 2028.
Despite the beauty and timelessness of the building structures, it is the vineyard for which the domaine is best known. The Savennières from Épiré is regarded as Grand Cru. The domaine works primarily three parcels: La Croix Picot, Le Parc, and Le Hu-Boyau. It is the latter that sits just above another famous vineyard, La Coulée de Serrant. The soils here are rich, and the microclimate is ideal. Southern and south-eastern sun exposure brings ripeness to the grapes, while the proximity to the Loire River keeps the temperatures moderate. The subsoils are comprised of sandstone and schist, and the top soil is a beautiful blue slatey schist that covers the vineyard floors, lending nerve and firmness. We import two cuvées of Savennières from Chateau d’Épiré. Their Cuvée Spéciale is blended by Kermit from their best parcel and creates a dry wine, austere within its first two or three years, that develops substantially with age. This cuvée is aged in traditional but largely abandoned chestnut barrels. The other cuvée is also dry, but more accessible young, with notes of exotic fruits. Both are delicious and spectacularly complex, and show a value disproportionate to their pedigree.
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