Wine Advisor
Arnaud Ente, Meursault Clos des Ambres 2006
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: David Schildknecht
Showcasing 50 year old vines in particularly stony, clay-poor soil, the Ente 2006 Meursault Clos des Ambres mingles freshly milled wheat, lemon, coconut, honeysuckle and chalk dust in the nose; combines density and creaminess of texture with refreshment, and ripe fruit with restraint; and finishes with clarity and polish. It should evolve nicely for 4-5 years. Ente began picking September 13, finishing in six days. The result is wines of consistent clarity and refreshment, as well as full of nuances that call forth a mineral vocabulary. Use of demi-muids rather than barriques to raise many of the wines here helps ward off any overt woodiness. Eighty percent of Ente’s wine is exported, most of that to the U.S. and U.K. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel (510) 524-1524
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(from vines planted in the early 1950s; 25% new oak used) Spicy aromas of lemon drop, peach, menthol and spring flowers; more closed than the plain village cuvee Densely packed, tight and suave, with delicate but intense flavors of lemon, lime, white peach and spices. This is less obviously ripe and solid than the basic village offering but finishes with lovely subtle flavor and grip.
About the Producer
Arnaud Ente left Coche Dury, the god of white wine, in 1991 to establish his own winery! After 20 years of hard work, after winning the French Wine of the Year Person of the Year in 2012, the reputation has gradually been competed by lovers of pure and meticulous white wine go! Mr. Michel Bettane has pointed out that in his nearly 30 years of wine evaluation, the only white wine that has given him praise and surprises turned out to be Arnaud Ente's Bourgogne Aligoté, he now thinks this should be a Grand Cru. The vineyard of Chateau Arnoant is less than 5 hectares, not only does it not have any grand crus, but 80% of the plots are Bourgogne and Village. Regardless of the grade of the plot, Arnaud Ente takes care of it in the same way, using the Lutte Raisonnée method, which strictly controls the yield to improve the quality of the grapes. Take 2012 as an example, the average output per hectare of the entire winery is only 1,900 liters, about 2,500 bottles, and some wines even have only 600 liters of output, such as Meursault Clos des Ambres with an average vine age of more than 50 years. This way of strictly controlling production is definitely the only way he can make great wines. Another standout is that the harvest is brought forward in order to obtain finer grapes. There is better, beautiful acidity in the harvested grapes, giving the wine more layer, variety, and complexity.
