WTN: Two Savennieres

2004 Papin Chevalier Savennieres Clos de Coulaine
There is something to enjoy here with the warm savory tactile honeyed profile, lightened by relatively fresh acid and top white floral notes. But in the end the awkward alcoholic exterior is what ruins the pleasure for me, and makes me less-than-enthused to keep drinking. In its defense, this is the first bottle I've tasted and apparently a few months ago Papin was showing his 04s and 05s in Paris and found the 04s to be in such a disagreeable state that he urged the retailer to stop selling them for the time being. (How's that for a sales strategy?)

1993 Domaine aux Moines Savennieres Roche aux Moines
Starts off a bit worrisome with the ole flabby oxidised apples. But, picks up some life with air, as the acidity wakes up and enlivens the texture, and brightens the flavors, which otherwise tend towards a bit brown and tired. By no means a magnificent wine and not something I would envision aging much further, but as it firms up it makes a very respectable match for pasta in cream sauce, especially for a man who is just getting over a cold and is eager to taste some wine.

Thanks for the warning on the Coulaine - I was thinking of buying one for tomorrow's dinner. I rather liked it when I last tasted it (last summer).

-O-

I rather liked it when I last tasted it (last summer).

Aha. And I guess the alcohol was not sticking out at that point in time?

That is good news, because perhaps at some point in the future such relative balance may return.

While the data suggest that right now is a tricky time to open these wines, unfortunately you never really know, because I've opened bottles from Papin within weeks that showed radically different profiles (primarily in terms of oak and alcohol). And while all wine is of course subject to bottle variation and constant evolution, for some reason Papin's wines seem more subject to this variation than most.

Used to be that Savennieres weren't drinkable young and had to be cellared for at least a decade or so, but now they seem to range mostly from approachable to downright delicious on release, leaving me wondering about their future. I've asked winery people about that and they confess it's hard to predict what will happen.

I've asked winery people.

I know at Papin and Closel it has been a conscious decision (even considering the weather in recent years) to pick later and riper, but have you found the same conscious decision in many places?

I haven't tasted 04 or 05 but before that Tijou seemed to be holding out in the Shrill Style.

I've asked winery people.

I know at Papin and Closel it has been a conscious decision (even considering the weather in recent years) to pick later and riper, but have you found the same conscious decision in many places?

I haven't tasted 04 or 05 but before that Tijou seemed to be holding out in the Shrill Style.

Rahsaan, other than Papin and Closel I'm not familiar with any that have made such decisions. Some time ago Pierre Rovani commented on the Squires board that he thought the (excellent) 2002 Domaine de Closel Clos du Papillon would start fading after a few years. I asked the winemaker's daughter when she was in the States a few months ago what she thought about that and she said it was too soon to tell as her mother had been making their Savennieres in the new style for only a few years.

I rather liked it when I last tasted it (last summer).

Aha. And I guess the alcohol was not sticking out at that point in time?

Well, I went and looked at my old note. I did notice some alcohol, but not disturbing amounts - though I guess if any is noticable it is iffy. I guess that day, I gave it the benefit of the doubt. The flavours were lovable, however. I must try this again for myself sometime in the future. But the overall impression was obviously a positive one despite the slight doubts on a few matters.

-O-

Rahsaan, other than Papin and Closel I'm not familiar with any that have made such decisions.

I don't know about explicit decisions, but Epire and the women at Domaine aux Moines were two houses that seemed riper and rounder in recent vintages but I didn't know if that was just a function of the weather..

Will see about the 02 Closel CdP, it certainly seems to have some structure along with the babyfat, so one would expect some aging potential.

Yeah, it's hard to believe the 02 Closel CdP won't improve for several years, but it's been so darned good I'm down to my last two bottles. The 03 is another story and I don't see a long life ahead of it.