Chateau de Fesles Bonnezeaux 1999

Chateau de Fesles Bonnezeaux 1999: A pleasing pale golden hue on inspection. As with the 1998, the nose is captivating, with plenty of stone and mineral characteristics. Behind this there is a core of rich, honeyed aromas, and a suggestion of lemony freshness, with rosemary herb nuances. On the palate it is fabulously rich, yet balanced, with superb acidity, a hallmark of Chenin Blanc. A lovely, fat, round, oily texture, with a deep, mealy, mineral complexity which surpasses that found in the 1998, which had a more elegant and slightly less rich feel to it. Great sweetness and nicely poised acidity. Tremendous length. Marvellous stuff. Excellent. (23/8/02)