Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
An austerely stony Savennieres that reminds me of how the wines of this appellation tasted back in the 1980s. But there’s more power here than there was back then, and it really helps this wine carry its weighty load of crushed-stone character. I love the touch of gunflint on the nose and at the very long, crystalline finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
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Vinous
The 2019 Savennières Le Parc is a dry, powerful, tangy expression of Chenin Blanc on volcanic soils. It has a chili-like spice and ferocity that pierces its compact yet concentrated core. Starting to mature aromatically, it offers developing nutty, honey and lime flavors. It’s beginning to relax its shoulders, but it retains a honed, steely structure that gives it purpose and drive on the finish.
Unquestionably one of the most diverse grape varieties, Chenin Blanc can do it all. It shines in every style from bone dry to unctuously sweet, oaked or unoaked, still or sparkling and even as the base for fortified wines and spirits. Perhaps Chenin Blanc’s greatest asset is its ever-present acidity, maintained even under warm growing conditions. Somm Secret—Landing in South Africa in the mid 1800s, today the country has double the acreage of Chenin Blanc planted compared to France. There is also a new wave of dedicated producers committed to restoring old Chenin vines.
Known for its delightful whites and sparkling Pétillant and Mousseux, made predominantly of Chenin blanc, Anjou has a temperate and dry maritime climate. The region's limited temperature variations are admiringly referred to locally as the “douceur angevine,” or “Anjou sweetness.” Fruit forward rosé and red wines from Cabernet Franc and Gamay merit Anjou its success within the Loire subregions.