Domaine du Closel, 2018 Update
One of the leading domaines in Savennières, I like to keep up with progress at Domaine du Closel. My report on fifteen recent vintages published last year demonstrated with great clarity the improvements that have been made here since Evelyne de Jessey-Pontbriand took control of the domaine back in 2001. Quality has climbed, with notable step-changes coming in 2006 and then again in 2009. To some extent these improvements reflected ongoing changes in the cellars, with longer élevage in barrel on the lees, but I think it is Evelyne’s new approach to the work in the vineyards that had the most dramatic effect. Choosing to pick earlier, moving away from the soft, botrytis-tinged character that is otherwise so typical of the wines of Anjou (and indeed much of Savennières), instead seeking out greater precision, a finer sense of purity and more minerality, has completely reshaped the wines of this domaine.
On this occasion, in a very quick tasting with Evelyne (pictured), I reviewed four recent releases from the domaine.
The Wines
The top wine tasted here was with a doubt the 2015 Savennières Clos du Papillon, which showed just as well as it did in that grand tasting last year. This is a wine worthy of adding to the cellar, and if memory serves me correctly (and there is no guarantee of that these days) I did indeed tuck away three or four bottles last year. If you find the availability or indeed the price to be prohibitive, however, the 2013 Savennières Les Caillardières, named for the lieu-dit of origin, would make a decent alternative. For current drinking, with a focus more on fruit than minerals, the young-vines cuvée Savennières Le Champ de Fougères in the 2015 vintage may be worthy of consideration. It might make a good ‘on-trade’ Savennières.
