 |
2005 Savaterre "Les Enfants " Pinot NoirSOLD OUT
"...He’d used 100% stalks in the ferment but you’d never suspect it, and with time it built delicious perfumes of red roses and plums and wood smoke, the palate following precisely on. It’s got lots of smoky, sappy, stalky tannin and a huge amount of interest, and while Keppell made it to drink young, I suspect that its going to age a whole lot longer than he thinks. Drink 2006- 2011. 91 points."
Campbell Mathinson, Winefront Monthly: March 2007
2004 was a vigneron's vintage! A beautifully mild and gentle year produced grapes of the highest possible quality. Rain fell when instructed, the sun obliged at all the right times and after the hard slog of 2003 it was a welcome year.
The 2004 wines all have an added dimension to them. Every aspect of the wines just seems that more focused, deeper and pure. I am not sure if this is simply the result of a stunning growing season or possibly, the years of biodynamic farming, the close planting, the increasing vine age or all of the above. Let's save some time pondering the indeterminable and just conclude the results speak for themselves. The wonderful thing about wine is that no matter how much spin, hype etc you encounter, the ultimate truth about a wine is in the glass. I feel very proud of the 2004 offerings.
Normally fruit from my young vines (less than 5 years) is either not picked or is made into house wine for various select restaurants. In 2004 the fruit looked too good to just leave for the birds so I picked it and fermented it in a very traditional Burgundian way. 100% whole bunch fermentation, stalks and all! I'd always wanted to give this a try and since the destemming machine was playing up and I was completely exhausted I thought this was the opportunity I needed to take a few more risks. If it was an unsuccessful experiment I could always just throw it away.
Well what a lesson it has been. By far the best young vine wine to date. So much so I labelled it under the Savaterre label and distinguished it with the “Les Enfants” tag.
Tasting Notes:
Brilliant deep crimson.
Tight, shy and powerful
After some time in a decanter brooding aromas of Morello cherry, rose petal, violets, dark fruits, all spice, clove and sur bois or undergrowth with a beautiful acid balance begin to evolve. This really is the most tight and reticent wine nature has delivered.
With patience a crescendo of aromas begin to suggest what the palate may experience. On the palate I am immediately struck by the texture of the wine. A beautiful balance between fruit power, acidity and ripe fine silky tannins that carries flavour and texture to an extraordinary long finish.
This is such a magnificent food wine. Minerally, tight, ripe and savoury. Each mouthful is slightly different from the previous as its tight frame unravels to reveal is complex identity.
As usual the wines are made in an unhurried manner with wild yeasts, 100% natural malolactic, 17 months slow cool elevage in the very best French tight grain barriques and finally bottled without filtration. The wine was then cellared in bottle for approximately 6 months to slowly develop and evolve.
As with all Savaterre wines no added chemicals to hurry up the process. This is a slow and deliberate progression that respects the integrity of the wine and its terroir. Much akin to the slow food movement.
This wine is made for the long term. There is no rush!
I am absolutely convinced that this adherence to traditional methods in the vineyard and winery, combined with sufficient time for the wines personality to evolve, are of paramount importance in producing wines of terroir or place. Wines of identity.
I really can’t imagine making a better wine than this. This is such a complex, age worthy wine.
All grapes under this label are sourced exclusively from the Savaterre Vineyard in Beechworth. The wine was matured for approximately 2 years in the very best French oak barriques.
Unfiltered. Store at 14C.