Savennières is an appellation in the Loire Valley in northwestern France. It is slightly inland, up the Loire River from the Atlantic coast and the town of Pays Nantais. It is part of the Anjou-Saumur region. This region is sometimes at risk of spring frost, made more risky if grapes being grown are early budding varieties. Savennières is well regarded for the production of Chenin Blanc. Chenin Blanc can be used to make a wide range of styles of wine, from dry to sweet, but in Savennières, it is a dry style. Chenin Blanc is an early budding grape variety and was significantly affected by frost damage in 2021. This region is special because of the rocky schist soils that limit growth of the vines and produce concentrated grapes. The region also receives cooling influences from the Atlantic which helps grapes retain high levels of acidity. Due to its northerly latitude, days during the growing season have long hours of sunlight but significant cooling overnight. These factors help produce wines with concentrated ripe fruit, high acid, and potentially high alcohol. The high acidity allows these wines to age in bottle very well but can be unapproachable in their youth.
This week I plucked a bottle of 2015 Domaine Laureau La Petite Roche Savennières from my collection to sample. The vineyards had been purchased in 1999 by Damien Laureau. After a few years of selling fruit to other winemakers, he decided to start making his own wines. In 2012, he completed the conversion to organic viticulture and got the vineyards certified. This can be a challenging prospect in a region that has significant issues with humidity, which lead to developing different mildew types. He implemented the use of alternative vineyard preparations and vineyard management techniques to control the ever looming threat. This wine is a deep brassy yellow color. This color is a result of aging in oak barrels and the slow oxygen exchange that occurs during the process. This wine has very pronounced aromas of almonds, ripe green apple, ripe yellow pear, honeydew, and lemon peel. The bright acidity is well balanced by its full body. The body is in part from the oak aging but also from some time on fine lees (dead yeast cells). The aforementioned aromas also appear on the palate with a steely minerality. These intense flavors slowly fade on this dry wine’s long finish. The fruit in this wine is still showing very well, and will continue to for a few more years as this wine increases in complexity. I opted not to remove the cork from this bottle so I can continue to try it and see its evolution. If I had opened it, I would pair it with some shellfish or white fish, a veggie tray, some camembert or simply have it as an aperitif!
-TheLooseTannin
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