We just finished a bottle of the 2009 La Jalousie from Château des Vaults (which many would know better as Domaine du Closel). There’s a great story behind the name of the cuvée (obviously, with a name like that, in a small appellation with plenty of history), but we were surprised at how it’d developed over the course of several days.
The wine comes from a good parcel within the appellation, slightly further away from the château than the famous Clos du Papillon, but favourably situated and with well-drained soil. It’s a stonking 14% ABV (quite natural in the Anjou), but what’s really interesting is the acidity and texture of the wine. Over the last year or so, it’s been balanced in an easygoing fashion, with the acidity buttressing the fruit and alcohol. The last few bottles have been a bit harder on the palate, especially given a few hours of air, but stayed within the general paradigm. It’s meant to be a fruity, early drinking wine, which is not always easy to achieve in Savennières.
This bottle, though, was remarkable on the third day, like an adhesive that had cured and become tack free. It was at the magic moment where the tension between the different components had crystallised (rather than resolved, which occurs much later in the ageing process). My best guess is that the wine will stay this way for at least a couple of years, without ever completely shutting down. I’ll drink this now with a clean, still moist chèvre, or perhaps some salted butter and bread, rather than the customary river fish (e.g. perch).
That is, if we had any more of this wine. That was unfortunately our penultimate bottle, and we’re saving the last bottle for a tasting. Next time we’ll be less greedy.
