Damien Laureau - Savennières Les Genets 2018

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Producer	Damien Laureau
Country	France
Region	Loire Valley
Subregion	Savennières
Varietal	Chenin Blanc
Vintage	2018
Sku	12015058
Size	750ml

  

Hand harvested, natural yeast fermentation in tank. 12 months in 400L French oak barrels, 5-10% new, then 4-6 months in tank before bottling unfined & unfiltered. From vineyards clustered around the Moulin de Beaupréau at the far northern edge of the appellation, Damien sources the fruit for his Savennière Les Genêts. This is a light sandy terroir of schist and phtanite making for a more approachable style of Savennière. It is aged in 400L French oak barrels for 12 months then 4-6 months in tank before bottling.

Full-bodied and very elegant on the palate, this is a highly elegant, very intense, finessed and almost creamy textured Chenin Blanc; however, it is also piquant and finely racy with power, grip and tension. The finish is very persistent and well defined.

Working out of a small shed with a very small team, Damien Laureau is not exactly what one would call a "typical" Savennières winemaker. Fruit extracts and other non-synthetic treatments are used on the vines in place of harsh chemicals, and quite frankly, you can tell it just by looking at the vineyards. They feel alive, with wildlife and indigenous plants sharing the space with Damien's healthy vines of Chenin Blanc. Damien, along with a few other young growers, is starting to experiment with harvesting just when the grapes turn yellow (instead of the traditional Savennieres "green grapes") to take advantage of the richness that the sun brings. At the same time, he is careful not to pick too late as he wants to avoid a high level of botrytis in the harvest. As a result, the wines are a beautiful balance of richness, concentration, lively acidity, and length. Yields are quite low (an average of 35 hl/ha is quite common while most harvest at around 50 hl/ha.) Called "Undoubtedly the future star of Savennieres" by France's "La Revue de Vin de France", Damien is quietly carving out his own style with some of the most extraordinary terroir in the world. These are worldclass white wines.