Cave Robert et Marcel Heritage Coteaux de Saumur Blanc 2017 (500mL)

Late-harvest chenin blanc is a rarity, especially from Saumur. One sip of this will leave you wondering why we all don’t see these way, way more often. At this price?!

Cave Robert et Marcel has been crafting fantastic wines across the Loire for nearly 70 years – an early Loire co-op of growers whose impressive cave system spans a full 10 kilometers beneath their vineyards. Parts of these cellars go back as far as the 12th century, and even contain the deepest bottling chamber in Europe!

Saumur is the co-op’s unquestioned focus, from blanc to rouge, to rosé, and even the odd bottle of sparkling here and there. Sweet wines such as this are almost certainly the rarest, but when you can find it...boy, is it ever good! This 100% chenin blanc pulls fruit from across two hectares of vines, grown on the region’s tuffeau and limestone-rich soils. The soft chalk is just below the surface, less than two feet beneath the surface – which helps to regulate water use, while further adding to the wine’s unique expression of terroir.

For this late-harvest Heritage white, a number of passes were made through the parcels, with clusters selected only after they had been significantly affected by botrytis – the same noble rot that gives Sauternes its characteristic honeyed fruit profile. Chenin blanc is – in this writer’s opinion, at least – severely underrated for its ability to play brilliantly with noble rot...as its exceptional acidity and high resistance to oxidation make for a perfect vessel to experiment with a wine such as this. Sauternes-esque, but with less syrupy sappiness, and a somewhat steelier texture. Bright flavors and aromas of honeyed apricots, and spiced, golden plums, with creamy and nutty hazelnuts, alongside exotic flourishes of mango and papaya – expect all this and more in a round, yet zippy, sweet, yet tangy, all-together dichotomous wine that is guaranteed to please most every wine drinker out there! This would be a steal of a bottle at the full retail price – but to have it for under $25 makes this a stunning opportunity that simply can’t be missed!

PAIRING IDEAS: Go with a bit of spice here, I’m thinking a Thai yellow curry with shrimp...nothing nuclear, folks, you’re gonna want to savor every sip as well as every last bite!