Arnaud Lambert Clos David 2023

Arnaud Lambert Clos David is a dry white from the AOC Saumur in the Loire, made from Chenin Blanc by an estate that has become a benchmark of the appellation. Lambert farms organically across Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg and the limestone hill of Brézé, whose clean, precise wines gave Saumur much of its modern reputation. The vineyards sit on the tuffeau limestone that runs beneath Saumur, a soft, chalky rock that holds water through dry summers and gives dry Chenin its mineral tension and long finish, while the temperate, Atlantic-influenced climate ripens the grape slowly and keeps its firm acidity intact. The wine ages twelve months in French oak barrel, a measured élevage that adds structure, light toast and a savoury texture through lees contact rather than heavy oak flavour, in keeping with the estate's precise style. The colour is bright gold. The nose shows pear, apple and quince, with beeswax, honey and a chamomile lift. The palate is dry, textured and structured at 13.5 percent, the orchard and waxy fruit carried by cutting acidity to a long, saline, faintly nutty close. Serve at 11 to 12 degrees in a large white glass, decanting the younger vintages.