2023 Arnaud Lambert, Chenin Blanc, Les Parcelles, Loire Valley, France.
The pale gold/straw colored Les Parcelles is Lambert’s declassified Saumur Blanc that shows off a crisp and dry palate of tart peach, lemon/lime, quince and green apple fruits, along with salty wet stone, chalk, unsweetened honey, minty herbs, delicate florals, clove spice and pecan nuttiness. The 100% Chenin is grown in diverse sections of vines around the Lambert estate in the Saumur region that include an upper portion that has calcareous sandy soils and a lower plot that has a higher percentage of clay, along with the classic tuffeau limestone that plays a huge part in the terroir driven character here, with both parts providing a nice ying and yang effect that gives an excellent overall balance and complexity. Arnaud uses a combination of concrete, stainless and various sized wood barrels to make his different offerings and in this case mostly stainless was employed, but he chose to use some lees stirring (Batonage) to give the desired textural quality. This value priced Les Parcelles is a nice entry level Chenin and will pair well with soft cheeses and lighter poultry dishes, which I suggest drinking over the next year or so.
As mentioned, the Domaine Arnaud Lambert, based in Saint Cyr en Bourg – Brézé, is making some of the finest Chenin Blancs in the region, began as part of a father and son team with his dad Yves, made a name for himself when he took over at the historic estate of the Château de Brézé, one of France’s great properties and one that the French royals, as noted by the winery, used to exchange wines of Brézé annually for Château d’Yquem Sauternes. I have had a few outstanding wines from Château de Brézé over the years, so it was exciting to see Lambert’s personal offerings and get insight to his direction as a vigneron. With his own label now gaining notoriety Lambert is push the appellations of Saumur and Saumur-Champigny to invest in quality and focus on individual terroirs and lieu-dit sites, as he does, with the goal being to re-discover the regions premier vineyards and exploit its full potential through organic viticulture. For those who want to explore authentic and organic Loire Valley wines would be greatly served by searching out Lambert’s delicious offerings, especially the elevated and top quality, terroir driven individual cru Saumur and Brézé bottlings.
($25 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive