Savagnin Ouillé, Arbois, 2019

Some ripe, enticing floral peach and citrus blossom aromas give way to a more solid, crispy and salty palate than you expect. An exotic papaya note is offset beautifully by a squeeze of lime, whilst hints of salt-rubbed citrus and ruby grapefruit provide some cut and thrust. A seamless yin-yang of tropical and cool climate – ripe, fruity yet complex and palate-cleansing. Remarkable character and balance for the money. Savagnin ouillé, sometimes called Traminer, or Fleur de Savagnin, is the topped-up version of Savagnin, one that Domaine du Pélican has been producing since 2012. This cuvée is made of many different parcels located in Arbois and Montigny-les-Arsures. The soils are very diverse: multi-coloured Triassic marls; fallen rocks ('éboulis calcaires') of Bajocian limestone over grey marls; and Liassic marly limestone. The crop is lightly crushed before being pressed, and fermentation is in foudres and barrels. One third of the crop macerates with the skins for one night before being pressed. Elevage is in 500L barrels with 2% new oak for just over half of the crop. The balance is in foudres and vats.