2007 Saumur Champigny Breze

Scents of lime and pineapple as well as a whiff of wood smoke in the nose of the Clos Rougeard 2007 Saumur Breze usher in a brightly citric, pungently smoky palate, underlain by chalky, alkaline traces. This offers a Chenin-typical instance of density allied to levity and refreshment, and it finishes with a remarkable tenacity, verve, and hard-to-describe minerality. As this stands in the glass you get more mysteries than answers – and that’s a good thing! I would not hesitate to plan on following it for a dozen if not more years, and Nadi Foucault is convinced it will gain an even clearer edge over the 2006 as the two evolve. The Foucaults Chenin from 40-50 year old vines in a clay-rich site continues to be in a class by itself in the Saumur appellation, deserving of the long elevage it receives and of time in the cellar. (Notes on the estate’s recent reds can be found in my parallel report on “Central Loire: King Cabernet.”) I lacked the opportunity to taste the 2009 or 2008 from barrel, but the imminent and current releases did not disappoint. Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334 8191