2018 Saumur Champigny Breze
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Tasting notes
Matured for one year in barrels, the 2018 Saumur Blanc Brézé offers up a reductive, slightly flinty bouquet and aromas of clove, ripe white fruits, spices, vanilla pod and herbs. Medium-bodied, round and supple, the wine is tense and layered with an ethereal finish enhanced by gastronomic bitterness.
Critic scores
Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous
Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Brézé is a clay-ey site, giving richness to the wine. It is round, silky and succulent, reflecting this sunny, warm vintage. It is at a beautiful stage in its evolution: developing almond characters alongside white peach. There’s fine acid rather than a racy profile but with a gourmand texture. Pastry, peach, and almond linger on the long finish.
100% Chenin Blanc. Malolactic fermentation completed. Aged 15–18 months in barrel (20% new). Pear and citrus aromas. Rich, rounded palate with a subtle toasted note and just enough freshness. (JL)
Softer impression on the nose than the 2019, but overlaid with a sense of minerality that carries through to the palate. This vintage is a halfway house between the old style (very flavourful and full-bodied) and the new style (fresher with more tension). It shows a perfect balance between fruity and savoury, with some light lactic impressions on the finish. ‘This is Clos Rougeard with all the complexity from citrus to exotic fruits,’ says winemaker Jacques-Antoine Toublanc.
About the producer
Clos Rougeard is one of the Loire Valley’s most famous producers. Based in Saumur-Champigny, it produces fine Cabernet Franc in tiny volumes – wines that are almost impossible to source.