2022 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant

The 2022 Clos de la Coulée de Serrant is made in an oxidative style. There's some residual sugar here, along with some delicate bubbles in the glass and a fizz in the mouth, suggesting there may still be some fermentation going on. A 10% addition of botrytized fruit lends a bitter orange peel note on top of the cider-like apple fruit. Although the fruit is excellent, this wine shows a multitude of defects. It is not pleasurable and speaks of winemaking rather than place. In 2022, it’s hard to ignore the issues with the wines of the Famille Joly. In 2021, the wines seemed cleaner; the natural freshness of the vintage provided greater clarity, and the nature of the fruit seemed purer. This was encouraging, as the Jolys farm some of the finest vineyards in Savennières. However, in 2022 farmyard and cider notes, malted yeast characters, acetaldehyde (over-ripe bruised apples and nuts) and even a touch of fizz dominate the flavors of the wines. The high level of alcohol, a common feature of the wines here, is particularly noticeable in 2022. This combination adds up to make a vintage that provides very little pleasure and hides the terroir. For those reasons, I cannot recommend the 2022s. I’ll also be looking to taste the 2021s again.