01 Domaine du Closel, Savennieres Clos du Papillon

Only the most entertaining of palates will find any semblance of fruit in this caustically acidic, alcohol-laden chenin blanc. This is the most closed white wine I have ever had -- consistently void of any aroma or flavor to the point of seeming corked. It relies on a stubborn, disinterested, but promising structure that I'm told will bloom in several years. The deep golden color is perhaps the only sign of what this wine might be; after several hours of decanting, the Savennieres opens -- like a single crack in the attic ceiling -- to unfiltered honey and woody spice. Dry, bitter, green.