Domaine des Baumard Savennires Clos de Saint Yves 2019 375 mL

Variety: Chenin BlancCountry, Region: France, Loire ValleyAppellation: Savennires
The vines for this cuvee are located between Clos du Papillon and the Roche aux Moines slope of Savennieres. Shows pristine purity and great depth of fruit. Bottled under stelvin-luxe and just starting to show some development with hints of honey and grilled nuts. Outstanding drinking – and value.

‘The vines of this clos a Baumard monopole sit behind Chteau de Varennes, on a hill of purple and brown schist between the Clos du Papillon and the Roche-aux-Moines. The fruit was pressed and the juice vinified in stainless steel. It has a nose of white almond and white flowers, with a very taut apple base. The palate follows in the same vein, with gently expressed orchard fruits, set in a controlled and modestly textured substance, with a firmly defined frame and fresh acidity. It has a good grip, the structure and poise suggesting to me this will age well, probably for a decade or two. The alcohol on the label is 13%. Under screwcap.’ 90 points, Chris Kissack,Wine Doctor, February 2023.
‘Florent Baumards other 7.5 hectares are contained entirely within theClos Ste Yves, and the resulting wine may be marketed either as Clos Ste Yves (particularly in foreign markets or for the on-trade) or under the straightDomaine des Baumardlabel for other customers. The soils are schist, well suited toChenin Blancwhich accounts for 6.5 hectares of the Baumard vines, the remaining 1 hectare having been planted withVerdelhountil recently. Florent says that his father acquired the vines by accident, having purchased them in the dead of winter, the absence of leaves and other distinguishing features meaning the vines went unnoticed. It was only as the following year progressed, and they displayed their many differences, did he realise he had a hectare of Verdelho on his hands.’Chris Kissack,Wine Doctor.

‘When this small portion of Anjou Coteaux de la Loire produced only sweet wines, the AOC regulations set a correspondingly low maximum yield. This concentrates the wines on four southeast-facing slopes of volcanic debris that produce the worlds greatest dry Chenin Blanc. Bone-dry to dry wines of great mineral intensity, Savennires can be some of the longest-lived dry white wines in the world. Most critics believe that the single greatest Savennires is Nicolas Jolys Clos de la Coule de Serrant and, while I agree that it is one of the greatest wines of the Loire, I think that Baumards Clos du Papillon (not to be confused with Clos du Papillon from other growers) consistently displays greater elegance and finesse.’Tom Stephenson, The Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, 2011.

‘Florent Baumard is one of the worlds best winemakers, and you probably dont know him. Thats because he produces Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley, an all-too-often overlooked region. Baumard produces a range of dry and sweet wines, topped by his Quarts de Chaume. And perhaps the best part of Baumards new wines is that they are now all under screw cap. Bravo to Florent Baumard for making this decision based on quality, not marketing.’James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, March 2007