Domaine de la Pinte Arbois Savagnin 2011 – 13% abv; c.33€
Nice floral scent but it is also steely and stark. With air, it even becomes a little yeasty and gets the tiniest stench of wet wool which actually IMO works very well in such amounts. So it’s an ouillé style of Arbois, aged so for five years before release: squeaky clean and unoxidised. But it is a pretty tasty wine anyway, though I prefer the ones that make me say “ooh yeah!”. Clean, crisp, good bite, refreshing, citric, high acid. Nice.
Ironically it is rarely the ouillé-style wines that make me say “oooh, yeah!” Rather I tend to make such exclamations with the oxidative, wilder styles. And though the ouillé Savagnin was perfectly nice, I am more than happy that the other Arbois is not an ouillé but an oooh, yeah!
Domaine de la Pinte Cuvée d’Automne Arbois Savagnin/Chardonnay NV – 13,5% abv; c.30€
Now this is good stuff. Aged four years ouillé with some of the Savagnin being aged like a Vin Jaune. Wonderfully complex aromas, yeasty, oxidative, kind of Musary except without Musar’s sweet edge and with a more dried fruit profile than Musar’s ripe peachiness. Quite full body, fruity but dry, plenty of grip, friendly sharpness. Incredible length. Very nice.
