1997 Vouvray Moelleux Le Mont 1ere Trie

The first bottle of the 1997 Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie was intensely apricot colored and offered a heavily concentrated nose with dried apricot, wholemeal, vegetal and earthy-mineral aromas. Sweet and piquant on the palate, this is an intense and elegant yet still pretty tight and austere Le Mont that is restrained and lacks the brightness of finesse of the corresponding Clos du Bourg. It's still an excellent, vibrant and youthful Chenin Blanc, but it's unruly or stubborn, most likely not from the very best bottle. However, the second bottle I opened was heavily corked. Tasted February 2018.

The orange/amber-colored 1997 Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie has a brilliant bouquet of perfectly ripe peaches and apricots, along with some flinty and minty flavors. Rich and pure at the same time, with some white pepper flavors. On the palate, this is a perfect bottle: bright and shining, with great finesse and energy, enormously vital and mineral, with great tension and just the perfect sweetness. Nicely balanced and with a firm and tightly woven finish, with grip and concentration, this wine indicates a great aging potential.

The orange/amber-colored 1997 Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie has a brilliant bouquet of perfectly ripe peaches and apricots, along with some flinty and minty flavors. Rich and pure at the same time, with some white pepper flavors. On the palate, this is a perfect bottle: bright and shining, with great finesse and energy, enormously vital and mineral, with great tension and just the perfect sweetness. Nicely balanced and with a firm and tightly woven finish, with grip and concentration, this wine indicates a great aging potential. Oct 2016, www.robertparker.com, Drink: 2020