Closel 2022 Savennières "Les Caillardières"

"Les Caillardieres" is from a vineyard which sits up the slope from the Clos du Papillon and the Moulin du Gué. "The grapes are harvested later ; the berries are golden, producing wines with aromas of baked apple, exotic fruits, raisins and toasted almonds. That terroir gives the wine a very silky texture, characteristic of these sandstone schist parcels. This wine is vinified and aged in barrels (French oak, 12 months) and reveals through natural micro-oxygenation this slightly bitter aftertaste that will give an interesting body to the wine. Rather smooth on the palate this wine has character. It pairs very well with artichokes or asparagus, other vegetables difficult to pair with wine. It is also popular with sweet and savory dishes such as veal stew with orange, monkfish with honey and cider vinegar, roasted pork with pineapple." The 2022 is indeed a rather ripe and voluptuous wine but with a nice touch of bitter acidity that balances the forward fruit. Delicious now and it will age beautifully as well...