{"product_id":"guiberteau-saumur-blanc-clos-des-carmes-2021","title":"Guiberteau Saumur Blanc Clos des Carmes 2021","description":"\u003ch3\u003eThe Land\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe hill of Brézé sits in the Saumur appellation's innermost core, where the Loire Valley's chalky tuffeau limestone reaches closest to the surface. The Clos des Carmes is a 2.6-hectare monopole on the south-facing mid-slope of that hill, with silty-clay topsoil over tuffeau bedrock that defines the area's most compelling whites. Curnonsky, the 20th-century gastronome who spent decades mapping France's great terroirs, classified Clos des Carmes as one of three sites on the hill of Brézé worthy of \"Très Grands Vins de Saumur,\" a designation rarely invoked and worth taking seriously. High-density planting at 5,500 vines per hectare, yields capped at 30 hectoliters per hectare, and the reflective limestone subsoil give Chenin Blanc the conditions to ripen slowly and build real concentration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e100% Chenin Blanc, from the Clos des Carmes monopole exclusively. Guiberteau declassifies fruit from the less compelling portions of the 2.6 ha; only the best hectare's worth enters this wine. Aged 18 to 24 months on lees in a combination of new and one- to two-year-old barrels, followed by time in stainless steel, then six months in bottle before release. The result is waxy lemon curd, roasted hazelnut, white peach, and lanolin, with a saline, almost electric mineral pull through the long finish. The 2021 vintage was defined by savage April frosts; some Loire producers lost 70 to 90 percent of their crop. A cool, wet summer followed, with warm and sunny conditions arriving in September and October to concentrate the surviving fruit. The 2021s have unusually high acidity, modest alcohol, and a tight, focused character that will reward patience.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe People\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRomain Guiberteau took over a small family estate in Saumur in the early 2000s and converted the vineyards to organic farming, earning AB (Agriculture Biologique) certification by 2007. He replanted the Clos des Carmes with massale-selected material beginning in 2004, working toward the vine density and low yields that define his approach throughout the estate. Brézé was a largely overlooked commune before Guiberteau's generation began demonstrating what its limestone could do. His wines are imported in the US by Becky Wasserman.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Clos des Carmes has enough structure and texture to handle real food. Pan-seared sea scallops with a butter and white wine reduction, roast chicken with tarragon cream, a gratin of celeriac and gruyère, or fresh goat cheese on toasted country bread with honey and walnuts all work well. The acidity cuts through fat and richness without disappearing. A white that earns its place at the dinner table.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harvest","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50141902176479,"sku":null,"price":155.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P6170410.jpg?v=1781757457","url":"https:\/\/danverwinemerchant.com\/products\/guiberteau-saumur-blanc-clos-des-carmes-2021","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}