2020, Domaine du Pélican, SAVAGNIN "Ouillé-Grand Curoulet"

Grand Curoulet is a terroir that is most suitable for Savagnin. The soil is made of grey marls (about half the parcel) and multicoloured marls (green and wine-red) from the Trias geological period – the oldest and highest quality marls. Domaine du Pélican purchased this Grand Curoulet parcel in 2012.

This smells richer, more open, the fruit a little riper – ripe citrus and even a touch of just-ripe apricot – compared with the straight Savagnin Ouillé but I can see this is really going to get into its stride as the vines age. Smells so pure and just very delicately creamy from the big oak. Broader in the mouth than the straight Savagnin Ouillé, more open and more powerful. At first I thought it was not as persistent but in fact it is. Maybe less elegance and more power. Wonderful freshness and a hint of spicy complexity and again that salty finish. 17.5 Jancis Robinson (2022)

Drinking Window: 2022 - 2030