2018 Domaine FL Le Parc Savennieres 750 ml

The Savennières appellation is widely regarded as the seat of the world’s greatest dry Chenin Blancs, and it is tiny. Consisting of just 300 hectares of vines, it’s only about a tenth the size of Sancerre, explaining why the best producers’ wines are often impossible to purchase in the US. 

The gorgeous, dual 95-point 2018 Domaine FL Le Parc comes from one of the most prized chunks of land in the renowned village: a historic five-acre walled property where winemaking dates back 800 years. The plot shares the same heat-absorbing volcanic rock structure as Nicolas Joly’s legendary Coulée de Serrant, which runs $125+—and Le Parc delivers the same sky-high Savennieres character and quality.

If the only Loire Valley Chenin Blanc you’ve ever drank is from Vouvray, then a Savennières like the 2018 Domaine FL Le Parc has to be next on your list. Under the stewardship of Philip Fournier and his son Julien, who are assisted by renowned Burgundy enologist Kyriakos Kynigopoulos, the Domaine FL estate is certified organic and biodynamic, and every nuance of terroir comes through in the glass.

2018 was, in Julien’s words, a “vintner’s vintage,” that allowed Le Parc to creep toward a perfect balance of lushness and brightness.

The domaine’s wines can easily age a decade or more, so the Fourniers employ traditional vinification methods and eschew malolactic fermentation, which tends to result in wines that are best drunk young. Instead, they recommend waiting around three years to open a bottle—meaning this outstanding Loire white is just beginning to bloom now, and it will continue to unfurl its complex mineral and floral character for a decade to come.