Domaine Arnaud Lambert Coteaux de Saumur Bonne Nouvelle / 2022 / 500mL

Description:

The Domaine Arnaud Lambert Coteaux de Saumur Bonne Nouvelle 2022 is a sweet Chenin Blanc from Saumur in the Loire Valley, made in a half bottle and built on citrus and quince rather than syrupy weight. Sweetness sits high here, but a firm line of acidity keeps the wine bright and drinkable rather than cloying.

Aromas run to poached quince, dried apricot, beeswax and candied lemon peel, with the chamomile and orchard-blossom lift that good Chenin brings. The palate is concentrated and honeyed, carrying yellow peach, marmalade and a faint saline edge that comes through on the Bonne Nouvelle clos at Brézé, one of the Saumur sites long given over to sweet wines.

Texture is the thing to notice: glossy and unctuous in the middle, then drawn tight by acidity that cuts straight through the sugar. The finish is long, lemony and surprisingly clean, leaving apricot and a chalky mineral trace rather than sweetness alone.

Serve it well chilled with blue cheese, a tarte Tatin, roast quince or foie gras, or simply on its own at the end of a long lunch. A 500mL bottle is the right size for two or three people over dessert, with no half-drunk bottle to worry about the next day.

Drinking well now and through to roughly 2040, though bear in mind a half bottle evolves faster than a 750mL, so this will show its honeyed, developed side earlier than the full-sized format.