one of the very best Chenin estates in France and one of the best Chenins, dollar for dollar, pound for pound that I sell. Chevre is Thierry Germain's right hand man in the cellar and obviously to work under a genius such as Thierry has paid off.
If Thierry's whites are Chenin with a Riesling interpretation and a stylistic nod (think Keller meets Corton Charlemagne made from Chenin) then Michel Chevre's are more Chenin-like than Thierry's or Guibertau's in that they have much more of the dried hay/grilled nuts character yet still have that racy Riesling character that the Roches Neuves whites have. Guiberteau, for me, is more "Chenin for white burgundy drinkers" because of the wood use, structure and a minerality more akin to White Burgundy than Saumur, while the wines of the Domaine de Clos L'Ecotard have so much Chenin character yet retain a racy quality that is Riesling-esque, although less so than his boss, Thierry Germain's of the Domaine des Roches Neuves. Michel Chevre in a very short time has carved out a singular name for himself for his micro estate, Domaine de Clos de l'Ecotard. This is a top address now for high quality Saumur Blanc and in 2015 Michel has located and purchased a small plot of old vines and has a new cuvée that is just awe inspiring. I'll be the first person to offer what is arguably one of the greatest debut vintages for a deluxe Saumur cuvée ever.
Today I have a small amount of the 2015 Clos de l'Ecotard Saumur Blanc for as little as $37.99 a bottle on a 3-pack. This is the best vintage of this that I have sold and I think will age longer than any of the 3 previous vintages as 2015 is that special for Saumur whites. The wine has a density only that is offered in the best vintages. Thoroughly ripe and racy with amazing vivid flavors of pear, grilled nuts, minerals galore and a mineral and ripe nose. Yet with all that material and there is an awesome amount of finesse and minerality to this wine that separates it from previous vintages. It is has extraordinary depth and freshness with terrific ripe and tasty acids. The finish is thundering and is almost like a crescendo. What a wine and I can see it aging 10-20 years, easy. As impressive a Chenin as I've ever tasted. This is Richard Leroy/Guiberteau good.
Quality and distinctiveness at this price point does not come around this often. As soon as you pour this wine it captivates your olfactory senses. It has a wet earth haunting complexity like no other Chenin. It just oozes terroir. There is lovely almond/wet hay complexity and it just keeps opening and opening. An hour decant would not hurt this wine. At all. The palate is structured and deep. I mean deep. Like a terrific white Burgundy. So much complexity. So many taste sensations and textures are happening all at the same time. It's just crazy. The balance is extraordinary. The acid is perfect and on point and almost has a chewy texture. This is qualitatively just a small notch below Thierry's legendary Clos Romans. And half the price.
It is from argilo-calcaire soil as Michel farms organically. The wine is harvested manually and is raised on the lees for 12 months. The color is the first clue this is a special wine. It is crystal clear and straw colored with a really nice tinge of green. The nose is layered and complex and combines vivid clean fruit with lots of floral aromas. It also has that deep wet earthy nose. The attack is huge acids that are so appealing and ripe with waves of minerality and compelling freshness. There is no overt wood or wax, which I don't like in Chenin, especially that wax which I think takes away from Chenin's inherent beauty. It's France's answer to Riesling. This is a Rielsingesque Chenin for sure. Maybe why I love it so much. The finish is long, detailed, smooth and fresh. And it goes and goes as there is an explosiveness to the fruit that is quite compelling. Just profound.
Now I've got one for the collectors. I guess Michel was getting jealous of all of his boss' higher end cuvees and scoped out a small plot of very old vines (85 years +) to make a small amount of one of the most ambitious Chenins I've ever tasted. The 2015 Domaine Clos de l'Ecotard Saumur Blanc "Les Pentes del Clos de l'Ecotard" can be had for $69.99 on a 3-pack. What a wine. Another one of those wines where the limits of human vocabulary will make it tough on me to describe what a wine this is. It is simply a work of art. It's one of those wines that when you taste it, that sets of a sensory experience that is almost unique to this wine as it is hard to compare it to many other wines. If it is even possible to compare it to it to other wines much less other Chenin Blancs. I'll try. It has a nose that absolutely jumps out of the glass. A nose where you can be standing on a chair and the glass is on the table and you still smell very vivid detail and nuance. It just goes on and on and on. Once you finish smelling this wine, if you do, then the palate is another experience all together. It is one of the rare wines where the palate surpasses the incredible and deep aromatic complexity. It is so deep, like so deep you get lost in the mid palate. It is so concentrated and has such a distinctive personality in that the flavors are so finely etched it is like all presented on spider silk, yet there is also enough flavors to present on a thick rope, yet it is still presented on the spider silk. See, words are failing in me. It is an honor and privlilege to sell wines like this, wines that leave a lasting emotional impact. This is a baby now but a thrill a minute to drink but but I am confident it will be a 25-30 year wine. This is extremely limited.
2015 Domaine Clos de l'Ecotard (Michel Chevre) Saumur Blanc - $39.99 ($113.97 3-pack)
2015 Domaine Clos de l'Ecotard (Michel Chevre) Saumur Blanc "Les Pentes de Clos de l'Ecotard" - $73.99 ($209.97 3-pack)
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