2018 Bourgueil, Clos Nouveau, Domaine du Bel Air, Loire

The Clos Nouveau is a historic, walled vineyard that owner Pierre Gauthier restored. When he walked to school, with his lunch in his backpack, he would pass its high walls and all the older vignerons would tell him that the best wine was made behind the wall. Long out of school, Gauthier set out to revive it, and it is paying off. The 2018 is a wine that sways its way down. There's huge density here within a light bodied frame. It's almost like a good Right Bank Bordeaux but with a greater sense of air and lightness on its feet. You can expect black cherry, olive, a little savoriness, cherry and a hint of smoke in terms of flavors, which linger on and on and on. It inevitably needs time – the tannins are abundant, offering an attractive, powdery chalk-like texture that coats the mouth. The wine spent 24 months in barrel (70% new, 30% second use.

97/100, Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous (June 2022)