WTN: 2 Baumard εψιλον

Domaine des Baumard Savennières Clos du Papillon 2005 13% abv; screwcap
This was at first quite reductive with its scent of rubber. Just 10 minutes or so decanting cleared that up and the result was gorgeous. It does show as a hugely ripe wine, more ripe than my Platonic ideal, but certainly not overdone. It has classic Chenin aromas of pear, hay and quince and also lovely minerality and some citrus. Full bodied, very ripe, but with enough acidity to keep the whole very balanced and refreshing. Persistent, mineral aftertaste. Lovely wine!

Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume 2004 13% abv; last under cork?
Thought the ideal time to open these must be decades away, I still found this to be an enchanting drink. The scent has a lovely touch of quince and green aromas (peas I would say rather than asparagus). The botrytis isn't an in your face type of orange peel as it so often is with Sauternes for example, but rather is a lovely, concentrated lemon aroma. Full bodied, sweet but not heavy, lovely, bright acidity with a slight but delightful quinine bitterness to bring the whole further refreshing elements. Dangerously moreish even at this εψιλον stage.

On Richard Kelley's site, I see that some don't consider Baumard typical for Savennières. Why is that?

[David M. Bueker]

I have no idea why Baumard would not be considered typical. Perhaps too good?

I have tasted a few vintages of Baumard Quarts de Chaume and they have been uniformly remarkable. I always thought they were the benchmark for Quarts de Chaume, so I do find that notion strange.

The website Otto refers to is here: http://richardkelley.co.uk/

Not sure if it has been discussed here, but it gives great detail on the history and politics behind different growers and stylistic movements in Savennieres.

I believe the critique he is referring to against Baumard is that they were one of the first in the region to put many/most/some of their wines through malolactic fermentation. Which made their wines rounder and not as fierce as the Tijou wines, the pre-2004 Domaine aux Moines wines or the pre-2002 Closel wines, for example. Of course all styles and 'traditions' have their starting point, and everything is in flux, so who is to say what is typical.

I have no idea why Baumard would not be considered typical. Perhaps too good?

Good point, David. I have rarely been disappointed by Baumard, whereas the reverse is the case with most other producers of Savennières which spring to mind. There is certainly no regular winner, like Huet and Foreau in Vouvray. I think that Kelley's very detailed and scholarly report bears this out; he is particularly severe on Nicolas Joly. (I am having trouble accessing his site today.)

[David M. Bueker]

I have never been a fan of Joly's wines, which seem to me more about philosophy than taste.

The website Otto refers to is here: http://richardkelley.co.uk/

Thanks for the link, it made for very interesting reading. The part about Joly is pretty devastating. Coulee de Serrant is one of those "greats" that I have yet to try and am very curious about; Kelley sure puts a damper on buying any bottle from a recent vintage.

I recently read an older book (Jacqualine Freidrich's Loire book), and she had much the same scathing evaluation of Joly by the mid-1990s.

A quick search of notes on this board seems to contain only positive reviews of more recent Coulee de Serrants...

Though Kelley makes a point of distinguishing oxidative from oxidised, it sounds like he doesn't like oxidative styles; as a departure from typicity, oxidation would certainly rank as a greater "offender" than malolactic fermentation.

I'm in the camp where recent vintages of CdS left me unimpressed. That said, (much) older Joly wines can be great.

One of the complaints about Baumard (especially the Savennieres ) is an herbal/asparagus note. I've never gotten it, but I think a lot of these things are genetic (see greenness in Pichon Lalande, Loire, etc).

[David M. Bueker]

One of the complaints about Baumard (especially the Savennieres ) is an herbal/asparagus note.

That only happens within a 50 mile radius of Boston.

I am so in love with Baumard these few weeks and I'm really glad I am new enough to Savannieres not to approach it with any prejudices.

In a recent Baumard vs. Closel tasting, Baumard came off as the clear winner for me:

http://2grandcru.blogspot.com/2008/09/loire-tasting-at-giaconda-domaine-des.html

I am so in love with Baumard these few weeks and I'm really glad I am new enough to Savannieres not to approach it with any prejudices.

I think you clearly pegged the differences. Closel post-2001 has taken a radical stylistic shift and nobody really knows what will happen to the wines. Most of the reputation was based on the period before the shift towards more ripeness, so while some are confident that the new wines will show plenty of breed and stand the test of time, it is still wait and see time.