3 | Wine | Loire, 86 to 90

"Tasted from tank, into which it had been assembled just two weeks beforehand, the Morin 2011 Sancerre Vieilles Vignes – which will as usual be a cuvee solely for the U.S. market, and bottled unfiltered – brims with bright lime and grapefruit; apple and honeydew melon, offering a lovely balance between lees-enrichment and refreshing vivacity. There is a chalky sense of mineral impingement to the vibrantly zesty, invigorating, yet persistently succulent finish of this buoyant (incidentally, 12.7% alcohol) Sancerre that should drink well for the next 3-4 years if not beyond."

"A stunning, dry Vouvray (although I suspect there is a touch of residual sugar), this 2011 possesses a flamboyant nose of peaches, orange marmalade, lemon custard and spring flowers. Medium-bodied, elegant, and totally satisfying both intellectually and on the palate, this white wine should drink nicely for several years." -Robert Parker

"The combination of brine and oyster shell signaled already in the nose of Blanchet’s 2011 Pouilly-Fume Vieilles Vignes suffuses the apple, grapefruit, and lime that render the palate satisfyingly juicy. I miss quite the clarity, focus, energy, or extension found in the best examples of this cuvee, but there is still plenty of refreshment, and mouthwatering hints of salinity as well as stony notes manage to make their way into the finish."

"Crisp, stony, grapefruit and citrus notes are present in this light-bodied, dry, mineral-laced Muscadet. Wines such as this are the perfect foil for freshly shucked oysters. Enjoy it over the next 1-2 years."

"offers subtly fusil, smoky, and chalky notes as well as mint and basil over a base of ripely aromatic and eventually succulent kiwi and grapefruit."

"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."

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

"Representing the intro-level bottling from Tracy and reflecting principally young vines around the Chateau itself, their 2010 Pouilly-Fume Mademoiselle T smells fetchingly of fresh grapefruit and lime; offers a juicy, invigoratingly zesty and piquant yet surprisingly supple, silken palate impression; and finishes with generous refreshment, stony and bitter juniper berry and lime peel lending counterpoint without austerity. I have the impression here of the estate having made a virtue out of young vines by producing an especially juicy, relatively loose cuvee that should remain highly satisfying for the next 18-24 months."

"Really racy, with mouthwatering acidity carrying the delicious blackberry, cassis and raspberry fruit. Streaks of graphite and spice cut in on the finish."