Pinon, Francois & Julien 2018 Vouvray Frizzante 500ml

This is a unique and very unusual sweet Vouvray, as descibed by Chris Kissack in The Wine Doctor: "Poured from a 50cl bottle, this presents a modest golden hue, it not yet having taken on the rich patina of age. The nose is gloriously fresh yet clearly richly concentrated, with layers of pressed apple, sweet peach and redcurrants, with light veins of black tea leaf, herbal tea and smoke, some of which suggest a healthy botrytis infection. While the nose speaks softly of freshness, the palate drives this home with a fresh and forceful conviction. Here it marries sweet peach and confit apple with a vivacious streak of acidity which gives this a brilliant sense of energy. Of course, the question you are asking is this; is it sparkling? No, not really. There is just a faint prickle of carbon dioxide to it, the subtle not-quite-pétillance you find if you taste a young wine at the end of the malolactic fermentation, and as a consequence I think Frizzante is a good choice of name for this cuvée (you certainly would not call it pétillant or mousseux). This little prickle works rather well, alongside the acidity, it balancing the wine’s dense and concentrated sweetness, which dances in a light-footed style across the palate, leading to a long and confident finish. All in all, this is a quite remarkable wine. Curious, but remarkable all the same. And a recommendation from me. The alcohol on the label 13.5%"