2021 Domaine des Baumard Clos du Papillon Savennieres Loire

This wine offers a bit of everything that makes Chenin Blanc so desirable. An alluring and perfumed nose of freshly-baked croissant, toasted bread, yellow apple and bruised green pear jump out of your glass. Lovely flavors of dried hay and forest floor join on the midpalate and deepen the tasting experience while adding complexity. Drink now through 2032. ~ 94 Wine Enthusiast

Savennières, a small appellation just west of Angers in the Loire Valley, produces the most prized dry wines made from Chenin Blanc. Clos du Papillon is one of the top vineyards in the appellation. Add to that Baumard, one of the best producers in the region, and it’s no surprise that you wind up with a sensational bottle of wine. The schist/volcanic soil of the appellation no doubt contributes to the allure of Baumard’s polished 2021 Clos du Papillon. Tightly wound at this stage, there are underlying hints of stone fruit flavors accented by a touch of lava-like minerality, all wrapped in a waxy glossy coat. It’s bursting with energy and power, but not yet ready to emerge and show its stuff. This is a white to rest quietly in the cellar for a few years. But do find space for it because it’s a unique wine. ~Wine Review Online

The 2021 Savennières Clos du Papillon is bottled, but the 2020 hasn't yet been released on the market at the time of this tasting; so, this is a bit of a preview of what's to come. While there are creamy apple flavors on the concentrated, focused mid-palate as a result of low yields, the 2021 is rather closed, structured and firm at the moment. A couple more years in bottle will allow it to throw off its shackles, open up and provide satisfaction rather than restriction.~ 93 Vinous Media