(2021) There's no mistaking the barrel fermentation and 10 months in new French oak here, toast, Brazil nuts and coffee, butter and golden ripe fruit to the fore. In the mouth there's citrus and fleshy nectarine, a grapefruit and orange zest pushing the finish. It's well made and a confident style, though for me the oak is slightly too prominent - at this stage at least. Price and UK stockist quoted is for an older vintage at time of review.
(2020) Olivier says 2017 was a great vintage for their white wines, "Maybe one of the best I've ever seen," and a big vintage too, the cooler conditions suiting this wine. It certainly has an edge compared to the 2016, a vibrant, shimmering brightness to the expected exotic fruit character. It is a vivacious wine onto the palate too, sparky acidity and tension playing beautifully against the fruit density and ripe sweetness, very juicy and long. This vintage is just coming into the UK market. Price and stockist for previous vintage at time of review.
(2020) Tank sample. Beautifully creamy nose, hinting at custard, with a melon skin and lemon rind touch of waxiness and subtle lanolin quality, a hint of something more tropical too. A lovely blast of orange fruit on the palate, really juicy and citrussy, but more orange than lemon, the little bit of vanillin barrel rounding the picture. Beautifully balanced into a long, taut finish showing a little spice and a touch of saline quality. Not yet on the market, and will develop more from its primary fruit characte. Lovely and full of potential, my score a touch cautious because this was a tank sample. Price and stockist is for a previous vintage at time of review.