Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume 2017

The Baumards farm 15 acres of terraced, 35-year-old vines in Quarts des Chaume on the steep, south-facing hillside above the Layon river. Spring frosts reduced their yields by about 60 percent, and what remained fermented all in stainless, and produced something spectacular. This wine's aromas are coy, hinting at a jam made with an Edenic bounty: apricot, peach, pear and ginger with a floral edge. Then a taste completely fills your head, tucking that bounty of fruit into every corner of your skull until it feels like your brain is cushioned in a cloud. There's sweetness, yes, but it's just a brown-sugar depth rather than a driving force in the wine. You might pour this with funky, soft cheeses at the end of a meal or alongside a main course of roasted duck with red-wine-braised pears and charred greens. But it's also vibrant enough to drink on its own long into the night. Score - 97. (wineandspiritsmagazine.com, April 2021) 750 mL bottle