Domaine des Roches Neuves - L'Échelier Saumur Blanc 2013 (750ml)

Thierry’s Saumurs honor the great Chenin Blanc grape. He vinifies them dry and never uses any new oak, so they contain very little artifice from residual sugar or barrel aging. Each wine is a crystal-clear translation of the underlying terroir. Unique compared to the other great Loire Chenins—Savennières, Vouvray, Montlouis, Jasnières—Saumur is noble, elegant, vertical, and imposing. Thierry’s vines, over seventy years old, are planted on an ancient limestone plateau with remnants of viticulture dating back more than three hundred years. This downright Burgundian wine shows off the savory spine and weightless concentration imparted by this particular site.