Domaine Mélaric, 2023 Update
Prior to this tasting, the last time I met up with Aymeric Hilaire was at the Saumur So Bio event, held in the heart of Saumur, at the very tail end of 2021. That was an enjoyable two days of tasting, for two reasons. First, because it was an opportunity to taste wines from a number of domaines less familiar to me, making a couple of interesting discoveries in the process. Second was the impressive showing from some of the older vintages of Saumur Blanc being poured; the stand-out wine from the entire two days was a 2012 Saumur Blanc Clos de la Cerisaie from Aymeric.
Covid-19 was still controlling my tasting schedule during the first few months of 2022, its grip only released with the delayed Salon Saint-Jean and then the first ‘normal’ primeurs (if any primeurs week can ever be called ‘normal’) in three years. The upshot was I did not have another opportunity to taste with Aymeric during the course of last year, and early 2023 was the next time we met. And – surprise! – Aymeric was back pouring a couple of older vintages, featuring that 2012 again, as well as another cuvée from 2011, alongside some of his newer releases. Among these was a notable sparkling wine, a cuvée of Chenin Blanc named Myriades, not previously tasted. Read on for my thoughts on these new and ‘old’ discoveries.
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