Domaine des Baumard Le Petit Paon Doux / 2019 / 500mL

Description:

Domaine des Baumard Le Petit Paon Doux 2019 is a sweet white from the Loire Valley in France, made in a light, lifted style rather than a heavy dessert one. Half a bottle of gently honeyed Chenin Blanc, it carries enough acidity to stay fresh right through the glass.

The aromatics lean towards ripe pear, quince paste and dried apricot, with orange peel and a touch of chamomile behind. There is a faint waxy, lanolin character that marks good Chenin, and a floral top note that keeps the perfume from turning heavy.

Sweetness on the palate is real but measured, sitting at around 89 grams per litre of residual sugar in this release and held in check by a firm line of acid. Texture is silky rather than viscous, the fruit spreads gently across the middle, and the finish tapers off dry-edged and clean with a lingering citrus tang.

Serve well chilled with a fruit tart, poached quince, crème brûlée or a wedge of blue cheese. It also works as an aperitif before a rich meal, or alongside seared duck and pâté where the sweetness plays off salt and fat.

The 500mL format is the point here: enough for two or three glasses across an evening without committing to a full bottle, which is exactly what a sweet wine at the end of a meal usually needs. Bear in mind a half bottle ages faster than a 750mL, so drink this one through to about 2030 rather than cellaring it deep.