WTN - 2004 Pithon Savennieres 'La Croix Picot'

2004 Domaine Jo Pithon Savennières La Croix Picot - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières (2/23/2009)

I'm a huge fan of savennieres, so I had to try this modern interpretation from Jo Pithon when it came on sale (Pithon was bought out a couple of years ago, then quit after a spat and started a new winery, so his wines are being discounted). Can't say I'm a big fan. A bit of new oak (and maybe young vines) have stripped this wine of the unique savennieres profile. Not a bad wine by any means, but it just lacks the qualities I admire in traditional versions. The oak basically overwhelems the chenin-ness to me. Where are the minerals, the wet wool, the pears, the quince, the hint of oxidation? There's a hint of all these characteristics now, but I'll put the other two bottles aside for a few years and hope the oak recedes (B+).

I may just be getting increasingy crusty in my old age, but this seems to me to be another modernization project gone bad. Why add oak to everything? It really seemed to destroy - or at least mask - the original qualities of savennieres. It tasted more like chardonnay - do we really need another chardonnay, especially from the Loire? Bah humbug!

2004 Domaine Jo Pithon Savennières La Croix Picot - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Savennières (2/23/2009)


I may just be getting increasingy crusty in my old age, but this seems to me to be another modernization project gone bad. Why add oak to everything? It really seemed to destroy - or at least mask - the original qualities of savennieres. It tasted more like chardonnay - do we really need another chardonnay, especially from the Loire? Bah humbug!

This is not what I need to hear on a wintery Tuesday morning. Luckily, I only have 1 bottle so I won't have high hopes for it. Like you, I ask: why does Savennieres need any kind of oak? All it does is mask the unique quality of dry chenin blanc. Are there any cuurent ones being made in a more traditional manner? I still believe Baumard uses pretty much neutral oak, Tijou is supposed to be traditional, Closel seems to use a little and the wines can be ripish.

I think Pithon is considered to be among the most 'modern' of producers in savennieres. There are various levels of 'traditionalists' there, as there are everywhere, but I think he is among the most 'modern'. He picks riper than many others and uses some new oak. Baumard, Closel, Epire, and Soulez are more traditional, in that little or no new oak is used, I think. Joly is in his own world!

Typicity is important to me, even though I know that the concept of 'typical' wines from any region are constantly changing, and the idea of typicity is a sometimes dangerously slippery slope. But this just didn't give much savenniere-ness that I was looking for.

La Croix Picot is supposed to be great terroir but unfortunately Pithon did seem to use a bit too much oak for my tastes.

If anyone is interested on all the dynamic movements (political and wine-wise) among the various Savennieres players, this is a great website:

http://www.richardkelley.co.uk/index.htm

Rahsaan, thanks for posting that Kelley link. That is encyclopedic and very well written. look forward to other areas he will research. I had no idea the appelation controlee was so recent, since Savennierres the wine has been around forever.