2021 Saint-Véran La Bonnode Cuvée Ovoïde ZEN La Soufrandière Magnum

This cuvée comes from grapes grown at the foot of the rock of Vergisson. There is a lovely, salty mineral edge to the apricot and nectarine fruit aromas, and a dynamic, lively balance on the palate that draws the wine to a lingering finish. The wine is fermented and aged in concrete eggs completely without sulphur and finished with six more months of ageing in tank. The result marries complexity with superb purity of fruit.

The 2021 Saint-Véran Climat La Bonnode - Ovoïde, aged in concrete eggs, has a focused, mineral-driven bouquet with petrichor, melon and orange rind scents. The palate is well-balanced, fresh and linear, quite saline in the mouth, with hints of spice popping up towards the finish. Quite mercurial, this gains depth and grip with continued aeration.

(the term ovoïde refers to the egg-shaped aging vessel). This is aromatically similar to the regular cuvée though with a hint of reduction lurking in the background, something that is fairly common with non-oak barrel aging. There is perhaps just a bit more volume and richness if not quite the same precision to the medium weight flavors that deliver outstanding intensity on the lingering and slightly more complex finale. This too is worth a look.