2018 Savennieres Clos du Papillon
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Tasting notes
From 40-year-old vines on schist and volcanic rocks and aged in oak for 14 months (plus two months in tanks), the 2018 Savennières Clos du Papillon opens with a bright, pure, intense and multifaceted bouquet of crushed stones, lemon oil, ripe pears and floral aromas. Round and fascinatingly finessed on the palate, this is a very elegant, dense and persistently salty Papillon with an intense, round (almost sweet) and sustainable finish. A great wine again that deserves another couple of years of bottle aging. 14.74% alcohol. Tasted in May 2021.
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Average Score
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
More reviews and scores
There are so many things to praise in the 2018 Clos du Papillon: the suave, sumptuous texture, the high level of concentration, the very ripe apple and pear fruit meeting subtle pastry notes. It’s seductive while offering some welcome grip on the finish, but it just trips at the last hurdle, the 14.5% alcohol giving an unwelcome heat and somewhat curtailing the finish. Outstanding? Nearly but not quite this year.