Wine Advisor
Arnaud Ente, Meursault La Seve du Clos 2006
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: David Schildknecht
From a tiny parcel in the Ormeau, most of whose vines were planted immediately after phylloxera, Ente’s 2006 Meursault Le Seve du Clos is as exciting as that description would lead one to hope. Meaty, saline, savory, nobly fungal, and chalky characteristics dominate even in the aroma, and if I had tasted this truly blind, only the refreshing citricity and notes of milled grain, I suspect, would have kept me from imaging Pinot Noir. This Meursault displays the mineral depth of the ocean and the grip of the proverbial iron fist in the velvet glove. Dense, firm, yet both glycerin-rich and refreshing clear, it finish that rings out while leaving your palate wrung out! If this does not make old bones, few if any other Meursault are likely to do so. Incidentally, one of the three barrels here was new, making for the highest percentage of any wine at the domaine. 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
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.
