2014 Francine et Olivier Savary, Chablis, Selection Vieilles Vignes, White Burgundy, France.
The Savary Old Vine Chablis is one of my all time favorite wines, it is a great deal and has everything you could want in a Chablis, it blows away wines twice and three times the price. I call this this the “Baby Raveneau” and when you taste it you’ll understand why, it is always intense, vigorous and mineral rich, but the Savary VV is a no quilt and drink now option! When Kermit introduced Savary to the wine world back in 2006 or so, I was in awe of just how good a Chablis in this price class could be and I’ve been a huge fan ever since, and I believe legend has it that Bernard Raveneau and Kermit Lynch had a hand in getting the Savary’s to bottle their own wine, and now they offer three different cuvees in the States, they do a lovely Premier Cru Fourchaume, a straight Chablis AC and this Selection Vieilles Vignes. I only have eyes for the Old Vines cuvee, for me it is the perfect match for my palate and I usually drink a bit of it myself. The 2014 is a beauty, one of the purist vintages since 2007 and 2008with steely character and sharp tangy fruit, it is alive and mouth watering with nice density and flavors, but with loads of chrunchy acidity and stony elements, it’s like dipping into a cool forest stream on a hot day. The Savary Old Vines starts with a hint of white flowers, tangy citrus, traces of sea shore and flint leading to a pale palate the reflects with a bit of greenish/gold in the glass and has a burst of lime, white peach, green apple and zesty lemon fruits with chalk, ultra steely mineral and river rock along with a slight touch of hazelnut. This is electric and vibrant Chardonnay, I like it now, though I suspect it will gain depth and interest in the short term, it might be fun to put some down for 5 to 7 years and see, but I know I would be hard pressed not to drink it all much sooner, drink from 2015 to 2021.
($30 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive