2020 Domaine du Pelican Arbois Savagnin Ouille Grand Curoulet

Full bottle 1,297 g. Domaine du Pélican purchased this Grand Curoulet parcel in 2012 from Jean-Marc Brignot, who bought it from Robert Aviet. A north-facing parcel located on the side of a hill that dominates Arbois and the Saône plain and ripens later than their other parcels. They have almost 5 hectares (12.5 acres) on this site. They attempted to salvage its old vines (60+ years) but decided in the end to replant almost the whole parcel – two-thirds Savagnin and one-third Chardonnay – after putting in new underground drainage structures. Grey marls (about half the parcel) and multicoloured marls (green and wine-red) from the Trias geological period – the oldest and highest-quality marls. Lightly crushed before pressing, fermentation in foudres and barrels. One-third of the crop macerates with the skins for one night before being pressed. Aged in 500-litre barrels, none new, and foudre. This smells richer, more open, the fruit a little riper – ripe citrus and even a touch of just-ripe apricot – compared with the straight Savagnin Ouillé but I can see this is really going to get into its stride as the vines age. Smells so pure and just very delicately creamy from the big oak. Broader in the mouth than the straight Savagnin Ouillé, more open and more powerful. At first I thought it was not as persistent but in fact it is. Maybe less elegance and more power. Wonderful freshness and a hint of spicy complexity and again that salty finish. (JH)