by John S » Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:41 am
2004 Domaine Jo Pithon Savennières La Croix Picot - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières (2/23/2009)
I'm a huge fan of savennieres, so I had to try this modern interpretation from Jo Pithon when it came on sale (Pithon was bought out a couple of years ago, then quit after a spat and started a new winery, so his wines are being discounted). Can't say I'm a big fan. A bit of new oak (and maybe young vines) have stripped this wine of the unique savennieres profile. Not a bad wine by any means, but it just lacks the qualities I admire in traditional versions. The oak basically overwhelems the chenin-ness to me. Where are the minerals, the wet wool, the pears, the quince, the hint of oxidation? There's a hint of all these characteristics now, but I'll put the other two bottles aside for a few years and hope the oak recedes (B+).
I may just be getting increasingy crusty in my old age, but this seems to me to be another modernization project gone bad. Why add oak to everything? It really seemed to destroy - or at least mask - the original qualities of savennieres. It tasted more like chardonnay - do we really need another chardonnay, especially from the Loire? Bah humbug!