2006 Saumur Blanc Breze

Honeysuckle, lanolin, honeydew melon, and bittersweet floral perfume rise from the glass of Clos Rougeard 2006 Saumur Breze, which displays a cooling as well as soothing palate wreathed in high-toned herbs and floral essences; tinged with bitterness of quinine; and brimming with juicy melon. Alkaline and mollusk-like suggestions of things mineral lend mystery to a long finish. I would never have expected a wine with this almost Muscadet-like sense of buoyancy from its vintage. 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