Type: White

Vintage: 2018

Grape: Chenin Blanc

Country: France

Region: Loire Valley

This is a blend of three terroirs in the eastern part of Savennières near the village of Épiré. Grey schist and rhyolite terroirs with one parcel adjacent to the famed Coulée de Serrant. It is aged 12 months in neutral oak then 6 months in tank before bottling. Preserved lemons and orange pith, with a mineral undertone, very bright and present. The palate feels pure, fresh and bright, with lifted fruit, pithy bitterness and gentle minerality. Succulent, composed, and electric. Absolutely delicious, a superb wine.

"The 2018 Le Bel Ouvrage is starting to open up. It is a gorgeously seductive wine that caresses the palate; however, it shows that big is not necessarily better. The wine packs its power in a round and curved form and remains pure and precise as it moves through the mouth like an arrow, driving the wine home with its acidity and lightly phenolic character bringing structure and length. Apple and tangy citrus notes in the mouth. Open now and attractive, but this has the structure and concentration to go for the long term. Drinking window 2022-2038."
94 pts, Rebecca Gibb MW, September 2022.