1 | Wine | Loire, $20 to $50, 86 or higher

"The lush, ripe pit fruit; luscious citrus; and wafting floral perfume that characterized “the rest” of the material that will become this year’s Tradition cuvee here display additional intensity, accompanied by piquant nut oils, oyster liquor, and shrimp shell reduction, making for a deep, saliva-liberating savor. For all of its richness, this delivers ample refreshment, while evincing a remarkable sense of buoyancy. Look to have a wonderful time with this beauty over the next 3-4 years."

"Bursts from the glass in an exuberant bouquet of buddleia and apple blossom; quince and intimations of wet stone. This transcends the poise and clarity exhibited by several immediately preceding Clos du Papillon bottlings and suggests that – chronologically speaking – we have moved up into a new echelon of expressiveness. The bitter, piquant notes of toasted nut, quinine, white pepper, and fruit pit here are extremely subtle and integrated into a matrix of lusciously juicy pear, white peach, and quince. A salvia-inducing salinity and scallop-like sweetness ally themselves to the stony mineral elements in this wine’s long finishing colloquy with flowers and fruits, and there is a levity and refreshment – a sheer drinkability – that I have not noticed in previous Baumard Savennieres – particularly pre-2007. Yet there is still ample sense of glycerin-richness and subtle oiliness. The combination of roughly a half percent less alcohol and more expressive acidity renders this drier-tasting than its 2006 and 2007 counterparts. Florent Baumard admits that a lesser percentage of his 2008s went through malo-lactic transformation than in most vintages, though I did not have chance to check precise analytical data on that. This sensational value is a delight to drink now. Whether it will “suffer” on that account a reduced “life span” must remain to be seen, although if anything my intuition is that this will be lovely for a decade, but that you would be foolish to deprive yourself of its short-term pleasure."

"A stunning Pouilly Fume, this 2010 offers up notes of honeyed melons, white peaches, crushed rocks and smoked herbs. Medium-bodied with a fresh personality as well as outstanding texture and concentration balanced by penetrating and zesty acidity, this superb white wine can be enjoyed over the next several years." -Robert Parker

"Evinces the pear and mint that have always been signatures for this bottling. A lush, luscious, fruit-forward and satisfyingly lees-enriched, silken palate is also typical, but here there is more vivacity and cut than in the corresponding Pierrier cuvee, with pear skin and pip helping serve for finishing invigoration."

"Lime and cherry-almond scents lusciously inform the silken palat. Accents of mint and stone add interest to a finish of delightful and mouthwatering persistence".

"A nice crackling core of thyme, flint and chive races along, with a mouthwatering finish full of fleur de sel. Bracing and invigorating."

"Smells effusively and exotically of ripe quince, mango, litchi, and pineapple, along with Chartreuse-like suggestions of distilled floral and herbal essences. In contrast with the corresponding Haut-Lieu, here the acidity is largely integrated and keeps its powder dry for successfully holding at bay the finishing onslaught of residual sugar. Notes of marzipan and peach preserves further add to the almost garish array of nearly over-ripe fruits."

"This wine has depth and cut, with a salted butter edge giving a mouthwatering feel while pear eau-de-vie, green plum and quince flavors hang in reserve. A lovely salty minerality is embedded in the long finish, which is dry and nervy, but also stylish. Should age gracefully."