Wine Doctor Saumur Champigny Bobinet
Chris Kissack's Wine of the Week in the Wine Doctor on 9th July is SébastienBobinet Saumur-Champigny Amatéüs Bobi 2008 - In the glass the 2008 Sébastien Bobinet Saumur-Champigny Amatéüs Bobi,has a pure, dark and rich hue, not opaque but certainly concentrated,shimmering and bright despite the intensity of pigment. The nose is justcaptivating, loaded with bright and pure fruit character. Underneath there is areal blended, compote feel to it, a melange of summer fruits, but on topsome pure and brightly defined fruit character shines out, with a freshness,definition and intensity of aroma that makes my jaw drop. In particular I findblack cherry and raspberry, with a fruit stone character. With more time itshows a more smoky, minerally seam to it, but the fruit holds onto thatfreshness and purity throughout. The palate is just delicious too,concentrated, full of cherry fruit, crisp and yet textured, the fruit flavoursrich and clear, the midpalate showing tangible fruit solids, but there isnothing here to suggest fatness, this is just purely balanced fruit, mineralityand appropriate substance. Despite this on the finish it shows a beautifulblack cherry swirled with cream character, the intensity and concentrationbacked up by a seam of grippy tannins, but with that fine, sappy, mouth-fillingsubstance still here. All in all a brilliant wine, just stunning in its form,flavour, purity and freshness. 17.5/20
What a wine! The last time I had such a spine-tingling moment of excitementwas with the AndréPerret Condrieu Chéry 2001, four years ago. The deeper you get into wine,the less often moments of true eye-opening, breath-taking discovery such asthis come along I have found. It is the purity and haunting precision of thefruit aromas on the nose that I find so striking. In short this wine isthrilling; it is not necessarily the greatest wine ever tasted, as it missesthe silky elegance on the palate that screams quality, and which can be foundin the wines of ClosRougeard or AntoineSanzay, for example. But, thanks to those hauntingly pure and defined fruitaromas, I believe this wine is likely to be one of the most memorable of 2012. (9/7/12)