Damien Laureau, 2016 Update
Damien Laureau is a fine example of why you have to follow your own palate. In Savennières, to my palate Damien makes some of the most exciting, pure and defined wines I have experienced. His wines are certainly in the modern style, being in part influenced by oak (although fibreglass also has a large role to play here), with élevage on the lees, although without bâtonnage. The wines may go through malolactic fermentation, indeed I think Damien was one of the earliest adherents to this methodology in the appellation.
None of this really makes Damien Laureau (pictured) stand out from the crowd; after all, there isn’t a single practice alluded to above that somebody else isn’t also doing. On tasting the wines, however, I am soon reminded that he really does stand out from the crowd, and that I consider him to be the crème de la crème of Savennières, on the top tier alongside the likes of Eric Morgat and Claude Papin. The purity, the freshness, the depth, the texture, the energy and the minerality, these are superb examples of the appellation. The Roche-aux-Moines cuvée in particular is one of the most striking wines in the entire Loire Valley. These are – coming back to my original point of following our own palates – far superior to much more expensive wines often touted as the ‘best’ in the three Savennières appellations. Well, that’s my (palate’s) take on it, anyway.
The Wines
On this most recent occasion the ever-cheery Damien poured two cuvées from the 2014 vintage, a deliciously scented and characterful 2014 Les Genêts, a fine introduction to the Laureau style, followed by his 2014 Roche-aux-Moines. This latter wine is stunning, scented with crushed rocks and white peach fruit, richly textured and yet also bright, incisive, minerally and fresh. It is because of wines like this that I don’t drink white Burgundy. Not only does it have a fabulous purity and energy, it is also great value in comparison; for the price of one bottle of top-flight Montrachet, which you will probably find is ‘prem-oxed’ when you pull the cork anyway, you could buy half a case of Damien’s wine and have enough change left over for your Winedoctor subscription. Result!
