2022 Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Le Bourg, Loire Valley

A cuvée parcellaire here, Le Bourg being a single vineyard in Brézé. The élevage here made use exclusively of old barrels, and lasted one year. A nicely focused nose to this, rather tense and deliciously assertive, suggesting citric orange and bitter lemon peel, with a matchsticky reduction which works well in this context. A rather charming palate follows, fresh with lightly gripped substance, plenty of charming citrus and peach notes, with a fresh acid profile. An admirable style, retaining a good grip in the finish too. Long, fresh, and a success for the vintage. This has good potential. The alcohol on the label is 12.5%.

93 points Chris Kissack thewinedoctor.com

This 2022 Saumur Blanc from Domaine Guiberteau, crafted from various estate parcels, with one-third aged in tanks, one-third in vats and one-third in used barrels, exhales aromas of lemon oil, sweet spices, orchard fruits and herbs, followed by a medium-bodied, sappy and juicy texture and concluding with a long, delicate and saline finish. This is a great effort.

90 points Yohan Costaing robertparker.com

Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Le Bourg is one of the great white wines of the Loire Valley, a thrilling and deeply expressive Chenin Blanc drawn from one of Saumur’s most revered vineyard sites. Le Bourg lies directly beside the family domaine in the village of Brézé, long considered one of the Loire’s grandest terroirs for white wine. The vineyard is planted on an extraordinary seam of tuffeau limestone, a crumbly, porous chalk shot through with fossils that gives the wine its tension, salinity and remarkable verticality. Old vines, many around seventy years of age, produce tiny yields of concentrated, finely etched fruit. Under Romain Guiberteau, this site has become a reference point for world class Chenin, handled with the same seriousness that top producers in Burgundy apply to their grands crus.

Farming is fully organic and executed with meticulous precision. Fruit is hand harvested at optimal ripeness, then gently pressed to protect delicacy and natural acidity. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, followed by ageing in a mix of seasoned French oak barrels. The approach is restrained. The intention is to frame rather than embellish, allowing Le Bourg’s pure limestone expression to shine. The result is a wine of immense structure and energy, capable of evolving for decades and consistently sought after by collectors around the world.

In the glass it shows a pale gold colour. The nose is striking, combining lemon zest, white peach and green apple with layers of flint, wet chalk, crushed shells and cool mineral smoke. As it breathes, deeper notes emerge: quince, fennel, lanolin, almond skin, sea spray and warm stone. The aromatic intensity is unmistakably Brézé, a fusion of fruit, salt and limestone precision.

The palate is powerful and electric. Bright citrus and orchard fruits glide across a firm, mineral backbone driven by laser focused acidity. Flavours of lemon curd, pear, lime leaf, chalk, hazelnut and subtle spice build across the mid palate. The texture is sleek yet concentrated with a beautiful interplay of richness and crystalline tension. The finish is long, saline and resonant with lingering citrus, crushed stone and a savoury depth that unfurls slowly. It is both cerebral and delicious, a wine that rewards reflection but also delivers immense pleasure in the glass. Cellar potential is exceptional, easily twenty years or more.

Pair it with scallops, lobster, oysters, Dover sole, buttered asparagus, goat cheese, roasted chicken with tarragon, white truffle pasta or delicate vegetable dishes. Its combination of tension and power makes it a stunning pairing wine.