FrançaisIn the words of the GRAND MASTERS of GASTRONOMY
2008 Clos de la Coulée de Serrant Savennières,
Light straw color, very bull-bodied with a hint of honey, extremely vibrant and intense on the palate with a strong mineral finish. A youthful, powerful beauty, like Milla Jovovich in "Resident Evil." Delicious now but will gain many nuances over the years. Coming to these shores shortly.
2007 Clos de la Coulée de Serrant Savennières,
Talk about nectar of the gods. Think Ava Gardner in "The Barefoot Contessa." A deep golden color, much darker than the 2008, with an unmistakable honeyed quality due to Botrytis (noble rot), candied orange, a touch of ginger and a very rich, almost syrupy texture, yet it's ultimately a dry wine with a stony core and a long, reverberating finish.
Wall Street Journal, J. Mc Inerney,10/10/10
"Savennieres: Brimfire in a bottle. (…)The jewel of these famous vineyards is the Coulée de Serrant, a magnificent steep slope of Chenin Blanc vines that is clearly destined to be one of the world's great vineyards.(…) Fortunately, from around 2006 the wines have been made by Joly's daughter Virginie, a trained oenologist who has been turning out some stunning wines from the family estate" Coulée de Serrant 2008 : 18/20
Jancis Robinson – Financial Times, September 11th 2010
" Coulée de Serrant 2008 : Ce cru magique de Savennières brille à nouveau, tel un diamant. Ses lignes athlétiques n’enlevent rien a la finesse ; la minéralité est telle qu’on ne compte plus les secondes, tant le vin est persistant et racé. " 17.5/20
Guide Gault & Millau 2011, Automne 2010
"Savennieres: Brimfire in a bottle. (…)The jewel of these famous vineyards is the Coulée de Serrant, a magnificent steep slope of Chenin Blanc vines that is clearly destined to be one of the world’s great vineyards.(…) Fortunately, from around 2006 the wines have been made by Joly’s daughter Virginie, a trained oenologist who has been turning out some stunning wines from the family estate"
Jancis Robinson – Fincancial Times September 11th 2010
" Coulée de Serrant 2008 : Cinq ramassages manuels ont été réalisés pour obtenir ce vin qui a fait l’unanimité, tant par son architecture que par la complexité de sa palette aromatique (prune, abricot, amande, pralin, tilleul…). Une bouteille remarquable renfermant à la fois la luminosité des bords de Loire et l’austérité des coteaux schisteux du Massif armoricain. - Coup de cœur du guide Hachette des vins 2011 -
Clos de la Bergerie 2008 : obtenu après plusieurs tries, semble léger, aérien même, et ce malgré une importante richesse alcoolique. Et c’est bien une sensation de délicatesse que l’on garde en bouche après la dégustation (…). Et que dire de la palette aromatique d’une remarquable complexité avec ses notes de fleurs, de fruits murs, d’abricot sec et de prune qui composent le bouquet et qui se prolonge dans un palais intense et frais à la fois ?
Les Vieux Clos 2008 : affiche d’emblé sa richesse ; la robe est jaune légèrement dorée et le nez puissant évoque les fruits murs compotés, la pomme cuite (tarte tatin) notamment. La bouche dévoile une belle fraicheur minérale, avec en retro olfaction une légère amertume caractéristique de l’appellation. "
Guide Hachette des Vins 2011
" Le 2008 sera votre millésime si, comme nous, vous aimez les grandes Coulées de serrant de style droit, sec, tout en etant deja avenant par la finesse de ses saveurs. De garde, de plus de vingt ans. La vinification retranscrit avec franchise ce millésime precis de haut potentiel. A noter un très bon Clos de la Bergerie, aux saveurs plus maltées et rustiques mais deja d’une unique franchise de goût minéral. Coulée de Serrant 18/20 ; Clos de la Bergerie 16/20 ; Les Vieux Clos 14,5/20"
Guide de la Revue des Vins de France 2011, Automne 2010
An article is been published on the Coulée of Serrant in the Dutch newspaper “Proefschrift” of April May 2010. You can download it here (file pdf in Dutch, 11.5 Mo).
Proefschrift. 2010
A great article is been published on the Coulée of Serrant in the German newspaper “Frankreich Erleben” of March April 2010.
You can download it here (file pdf in German, 6 Mo).
Frankreich Erleben. 2010
-Coulée de Serrant 2005 : An alluring whiff of ginger brioche gives way to a restrained palate of mineral, humus, persimmon and clementine. Taut, nervy finish will need some time to open up fully. Best from 2010 through 2020.JM
Wine Spectator March. 2008
- Coulée de Serrant 2005: very close at the opening as well in the nose as in the mouth but without any oxydative or other deviation. After 12 hour in a carafe, the nose becomes alife missing a bit of precision. The mouth also take place, expresses itself very richly, without bitterness and an incredible persistance. A great ageing potential. 18.5/20
Revue des Vins de France Feb. 2008
- Two major lines during the tasting of the 2005. On one side the expression of minerality without bitterness reaching a plenitude (and a charm!) rare in the Coulée. On the other side, a large aromatic and changing palet, that takes more place while opening with notes of quince and mushrooms. And always this savoury richness, this dense texture raising up a sweet wine without being one.
Les Meilleurs vins de France Guide 2008
- Coulée de Serrant doesn’t start life with brightness but with power because of it’s unctuous texture. In a discret phase, it takes the Loire’s listlessness. It will reveale with some time it’s immense lenghness and incredible complexity.
Bettane desseauve Guide 2008
-2005 is one of the best vintage of Coulée de Serrant. A great complexity, rich nose with notes of cedar, eglantine and resin (...)peach and honey. A very long mouthand very well balanced. Don’t forget Vieux Clos and Clos de la Bergerie that will be remebered for this vintage.
GaultMillau Guide 2008
- For dry whites, the Savennières appellation tops the list. Typically tight and minerally when young, Savennères needs cellaring to show their best. The acknowledged leader is Nicolas Joly, a staunch propnent of biodynamic farming methods, whose Savennières-Coulée de Serrant Clos de la Coulée de Serrant is one of the world’s most distinctive wines, with a steely texture and lilting notes of ginger, quince and humus (fresh potting soil)”
WINE SPECTATOR James Molesworth June 2007
- Coulee de Serrant 2005: Outrageous, fresh piercing apple/peach blossom, fresh MacIntosh apple, sweet candied citrus peel, almost too complex to describe. A wine lover’s wine.Full, fat, high alcohol, incredible depth and weight, loads of glycerol, dramatic complexity. Words fail. This is long-living wine. Absolutely decant 6 hours ahead, or cellar for 10 years. 97 points
VINE MAGAZINE Master Sommelier John Szabo Srping 2007
- “Coulée de Serrant 2004 : Reserved aromas of pineapple, butterscotch and cedar with a lightening vanilla note. Plush and quite racy flavors of baked appel, macerated apricot and lots of honey. Very long finish concludes on a palatefriendly sweet note. (94/100). Clos de la Bergerie 2004 AOC Roche aux Moines 93/100 – Clos Sacré 2004 AOC Savennières 92/100
WINE NEWS Nov 2006
- “Restrained, but very pure and focused, with a beam of ginger, quince and persimmon flavour, that then ripples through a minerally finish. Deceptively long. This is rather tight now, so cellar to let the precision blossom.” (92/100)
WINE SPECTATOR J. Molesworth, July 2006
- “Already quiet open, the 2004 announces himself as a great vintage with very clear flavours, incredible complex blossom and fruit concentrate. A pure acidity. This is a wine “improved by life forces” for sure.
LES ECHOS week end, February 2006
- “Coulée de Serrant 2002: When Joly gets it right, his wines can sing. (…) It’s completely driven by intense minerality, encasing a fresh, deeply wound core of honey, beeswax and clove that lies coiled like a spring. (…) The greatest Coulée de Serrant of the last decade. (…)” 94/100
WINE AND SPIRIT-Buying guide-100 best wines-Winter 2005
- “Coulée de Serrant 2002: This almost vertical vineyard, dropping down to the Loire, facing due south, makes a mythical wine that is powerful and laden with exotic fruit flavors: oranges, lemon, apricots, accented with spices and the tannins of a youthful white wine; This will last for decades.” 95/100
WINE ENTUSIAST April 2005
- “Coulée de Serrant 1999: Burnished gold hue with a tea-brown tint. Warm aromas of orange, stone fruit, anise, honey, lanolin. Excellent balance with generous flavors of apricot, tobacco, parafin and honey that manage to be both juicy and lean. A caramel notein the long, viscous, white pepper-infused close.”
WINE NEWS Novembre 2004
- “Coulée de Serrant 2002: lively and surprising, with complex aromas and flavors that evolve in the mouth; rich mouth filling texture.
NEW YORK TIMES, E. Asimov Sept 2004
- “Coulée de Serrant 2002 : Rather tight now, with a strong, sinewy feel to the ginger, chamomile, orange blossom, quince and humus notes. Almost bony, but it reveals some of its latent flesh with time in the glass, then turns remarkably elegant and lengthy in the end.” 93 /100
WINE SPECTATOR WEEKLY, J. Molesworth August 2004
- “…Loire winemaker Nicolas Joly was a pioneer in biodynamics in 1980 and is still one of the movement’s leading figures. his 100 percent old-vine Chenin Blanc is one of the world’s most distinctive wines.”
FOOD AND WINE, Richard Nalley January 2004
- “…since 1995 the wine has been magnificent. The aroma can be explosive; a sublime cocktail of apricot and quince, with occasional touch of honey or caramel. The palate is sumptuous and full bodied, lush but not heavy, velvety in texture with an occasional hint of white pepper and grainy tannin, and a firm vein of acidity running through it, culminating in a long rich finish. His Roche aux Moines called Clos de la Bergerie, is almost as spectacular, and his regular Savennières is similar instyle but on a somewhat diminished scale. Coulée de Serrant is the supreme terroir of Savennières, and vindicates those who makes extravagant claims for the greatness of its soils.”
DECANTER, Stephen Brook October 2003
-“Nicolas Joly’s biodynamic methods really do seem to work. Coulée de Serrant has become more noble, more intensely flavoured and more complex over the last decade. It hardly has to be said that it has become more individual. Coulee de Serrant 2001: More concentrated and more depth than the Clos de la Bergerie. Richer and fatter. Even more individuality and class. Almost a suggestion of honey yet bone-dry. Lovely finish. This is very good indeed.”
THE VINES, Clive Coates August 2003
- “Coulée de Serrant 2001: A wild wine, with electric gold color, piercing aromas of lemon zest, humus and chalk, and live-wire notes of citrus, mineral, spice and earth. The long finish alternates between sweet and sour, lean and lush....” 93/100 ; S avennières-Roche aux Moines-Clos de la bergerie 2001 : 91/100 ; Savennières-Bécherelle 2001 : 89/100.”
WINE SPECTATOR James Molesworth August 2003
- “…the currently available 1999 was the most extraordinary at the Bunch tasting. The yellow-gold has nothing varietal about it whatever, except perhaps in the acidity that balances the dry richness which has the length and weight of a Montrachet.”
DECANTER Steven Spurrier March 2003
- “Coulée de Serrant 2000: 93/100 The power of rock. This staunch wine is all about individuality, mineral and juice insinuating together. The youthful scent in baked apple and smoky quince; the severe acidity keeps the fruit tense for all its robust weight. Rich now, this will only grow richer, more aristocratic and more generous with age. Under Joly’s biodynamic care, this historic vineyard produces one of the most distinctive and expressive wines of the Loire”.
WINE AND SPIRIT April 2003
- “Top 25 Vineyard of the world: It’s not often that chenin blanc turns heads. And a wine from Coulée de Serrant is chenin in all its possible glory, decked out in sumptuous fruit, dazzling minerals and a compelling funk, different from but as delicious as truffles.”
WINE AND SPIRIT, Fall 2002
- “Nicolas Joly is right: he is not a winemaker. He is a thinker, a talker and an idealist, with a captivating passion for his work. His wine is simply the end result of a much greater process.”
DECANTER, Beverly Blanning February 2002
- “Coulée de Serrant…among the most distinctive wines today…”
WINE SPECTATOR 2002
- “The quartet of his 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 vintages may have been the greatest white wine produced in France. The incredible splendour of the bodies of these wines sends all the other famous vintages back to school. The originality of the perfumes is absolute. These wines can take prodigious amounts of exposure to the air, in spite of the tiny amount of sulphur used. If kept in a good decanter, they are even more stupefying on the day after having been opened. Aside from the Coulée de Serrant, Nicolas Joly makes a remarkable Roche aux Moines Clos de la Bergerie, just a wee bit simpler in its aromatic development, and an astonishing Savennières Beherelle with a sublime mineral quality.”
GUIDE BETTANE & DESSEAUVE “Le Classement 2000” REVUE DES VIN DE France