Guiberteau, Domaine
Loire, France
Saumur Bizay
Clos de Guichaux Monopole
Chenin Blanc
2012
$36.99
13.5%
Worn yellow gold but still youthful enough, minor dilution at the rims. Minty nose with black licorice accents, clean almost to a fault, sauna stone smoke, whisper of apricot, pear to apple skin fruit, more blunt than piercing. Medium to light-bodied, slams you with vicious acidity, wonderful brightness as a result. High-toned lemon to white grapefruit citrus keeps this going. Beeswax, lanolin and white pebbles before moving onto mint, oregano and thyme flavors and forming a pleasing inner mouth perfume. The maraschino cherry, pear, apricot pit fruit on the lean side but lively. In the end probably better now than waiting for any potential tertiary development.
92 points