INSIDER'S PICK: 2014 CHATEAU d'EPIRE SAVENNIERES $21.99

The choice of wine today is purely for selfish and self-serving reasons, as this is a brand new arrival we have been DYING to try again. This is one of the most noted producers in Savennieres, a smallish region in the Loire noted for their dry, flinty styled Chenin Blanc that provides a completely different style to the honeyed character of Vouvray found just a few miles upriver. The estate itself is part of the great architectural history of the Loire, from its 12th century chapel to the main chateau based on the 'Petit Trianon' of Versailles. What is in the bottle is equally special, having been under control of the Bizard family since the 1850s and part of the legendary Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants import portfolio almost since the beginning.
Clear, bright stone fruit and pear aromas jump out at first, without some of the funkier notes some Savennieres can display. There is a touch of the salty seashell note behind the fruit, somewhat similar to Muscadet, but always well behind the fruit on the nose. On the palate the fruit is almost crystalline, racy and bright with very lean lime and melon rind texture at first that gains the white fruits found in the nose as it opens up slowly. A wine that you would probably want to either plan to drink over two or more days or decant, because it does take some time to get to the complex fruit character that exists underneath. This is the 'basic' bottling from the estate, built to be bright and easy to enjoy during its relative youth; there is also a 'Cuvee Speciale' bottling we also got in (but not open for tasting at this time) that is created for Kermit Lynch, aged in old chestnut barrels and bottled unfiltered that is built for the long term, so make sure you grab the right one for your purposes.