Meursault Limozin

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

Brilliant, pale-gold robe, very bright. Very fresh nose again; lawn grass in the spring, largely carpeted with small flowers; apple, somewhere between Reinette and Granny Smith; white peach with a trace of vine peach; citrus fruits are present, dominated by orange, mandarin, a touch of grapefruit and another of kiwi; here, too, a saline note floating in the air; lemon makes an appearance; coriander, too; the coolness that emanates from these aromas is surprising for this 2022 vintage and, yet, it is thus.
Very energetic palate; the citrus attacks the taste buds head on – lime, kiwi, mandarin and yuzu leading the charge; grapefruit and lemon zest; lemongrass; peppery herbs, verbena, coriander; a note of liquorice; root ginger; a little note of mango and the energy of passion fruit; a subtle iodine note; kumquat; more salt now; and powdered ginger at the end of retro-olfaction.
A sapid finish with a finely salted note and citrus zest; substantial length; precision of the matter; again, the almost imperceptible maturation, as the fruit and the matter of the vintage dominate; beautiful persistence – white pepper and saline; what’s surprising is that this Limozin gives the impression of being located much higher on the slope, especially as this is a 2022. Fantastic length – the fruit lingers right to the end.
Similar to Les Tillets, this is best paired with delicate fish, the same ones as previously mentioned; lay down for just as long but, in this case, try steamed apples or root vegetables; although green vegetables shouldn’t be a problem, there’s no point in taking the risk. 93–94

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

The nose here is more discreet but it contains great depth; subtle dried fruits, seeds, dried vegetable, somewhere between chickpeas and navy beans; white currants, cream puff, icing sugar and vanilla scoop; very pastry-like but not too intrusive – a pastry that can retain its freshness, as when kept in a cold store.
The palate, at the risk of sounding repetitive, is as generous as it is juicy; loads of fruit with pear, caramelised apple, apricot that is as sweet as apple, a touch of pineapple, altogether nourishing.
The wine is long, focused; it is more tense and precise than suggested by the first palate; the soil is very present on the finish by tightening up and specifying the material; again, we suggest something with salmon and Béarnaise sauce; hunter’s rabbit will work just as well, or roast chicken with ceps.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

A return to the spirit of the Meursault blend with a white meat–veal–veal bone–mushroom–white truffle component, which immediately brings to mind the nearby Charmes. Wax, candle, honey polish, veal fat; half-roasted, half-poached white fruits; pears, white peach, grapes, apple; spices, of course, but more on the nutmeg side, easily identifiable; cinnamon and turmeric, mixed white and pink peppercorns. When aired, the wine opens up to a complex, honeyed and spicy floral character; and musk orients the nose towards the Middle East or Central Asia, the spice market.
The palate is much more sensual here; the kinship with Charmes strengthens and grows; poached white fruits, the fullness and creaminess of the flesh, crème brûlée and roasted peaches, delicate peppery and spicy pears, spicy apple juice, orange citrus fruits, perhaps orange extract; it’s got zing, it’s got spice, it excites the palate; it will no doubt accompany spicy fried chicken beautifully, or even Cajun dishes.
Powerful, intense finish; a brilliant, solar, sudden empyreumatic character; burnt earth, rocks in flame; it remains vibrant, exciting, alive; something is going on every second, a great evolution guaranteed. In a few years, drink with veal haunch or roasted Bresse chicken, turbot in hollandaise or baked Vacherin – you’ll be spoiled for choice.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

The robe is also pretty. A poetic nose that, again this year, borrows from its two illustrious neighbours – Genevrières from which it takes its floral notes, its elegance and poetry; and Charmes its poached fruits so typical of the appellation; this sensuality that belongs only to Meursault and which has brought its glory. It’s hard to believe that in one of the warmest three years of the century, the word freshness comes so easily to mind, and yet there it is! The Meursault pastries here are as light as air – puff pastry taking flight, millefeuilles and brioche and coffee eclairs being carried in the breeze, ‘so clear their light carnation that it floats in the air’ (‘The afternoon of a faun’, Mallarmé, trans. Roger Fry) – we did say poetic! Yellow plum, poached orange and mango, musky spices and incense add to the mystery. A gourmet palate – honey and apricot, baked apples and pears, candied mango, fruit jellies and plums that are just as ripe, mirabelle plum and kumquat; maple syrup, almond oil, bergamot and Sichuan pepper; this dry wine is reminiscent of a great Sauternes and with its complex spices of an equally great Pinot Gris. The finish is highly sensual – apricot jam and marmalade, Tarte Tatin and candied pineapple; it has good length with candied fruits and spices with the wonderful bitterness of cardamom that gives more lively energy to the whole. It would be tempting to drink with fish or white meat, glazed with honey or teriyaki, but that would carry the risk of the sugars unbalancing the wine; let’s remain calm and enjoy this wine with Apicius-style double veal ribs, marrow and pan-fried ceps; then there’s no danger, we’ve reached nirvana; alternatively, a roasted capon with a gratin Dauphinois should go down just as well – from 2026 onwards.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

Back to the classic south-east exposure, but the Limozin seems not to have suffered from the sun pressure of the vintage, it is even particularly floral with a very “Genevriere-like” side to it, not won on paper. So there is that side of mysterious garden specific to the big neighbour up top, from the air, lily, violets, complex honey, other white flowers, several mixed pears, white peach and vine peach. The palate is dominated by a note of vine peach entangled in a mix of spices with liquorice, peppers and cardamom. It is on the finish, with these notes of cast iron, of metals in general, that we find this massive attribute of the vintage. The fruit is there, but it has to struggle with this mass and with the peppery spices. This is a long and promising grand finale, but it obviously requires at least five years of cellaring. The Limozin is very close to the status of premier cru, the question has been raised in the thirties, and if you have the good sense to keep your premiers crus in the cellar, you will have to do the same with this area in 2018.

Raphael GIMENEZ-FAUVETY ‘s tasting notes – Retailer ; “De Corps et d’Esprit” in Paris

As we said earlier, the Limozin plot brings together all the possible qualities, the encounter of these vines and this vintage pushes this climate to new heights. Dried fruits, almonds, pine nuts, subtle honey, Montelimar nougat, pink biscuits, crispbread, white carnation, aniseed? An increasingly prominent mint note leading towards iodine, then white pepper and fresh ginger. The palate is wonderfully fresh and energetic. Citrus, lime and guava, Comice pear, incredible balance, there is alcohol, but the fruit is explosive, the acidity, vibrant, exciting, keeps the wine alive on the palate, the finish is outstandingly full-bodied, it truly is never-ending, without any doubt, the greatest Limozin I have tasted as a young wine.