Julia Harding is Master of Wine and part of the Jancis Robinson MW team. She is considered one of the most sensitive noses in England.
We share their tasting notes of our 2018 vintage.
Lumière 2018
A little more colour than the Univers, and again a little cloudy but still pale. A little more open and richer smelling than the Univers, riper yellow fruit (tart yellow plum, tart apricot, though not as sweet as it might suggest), as well as the intrinsic smoky, stony but somehow rich and calm herbal notes. There is even a suggestion of exotic flowers when it opens, perhaps jasmine with a flash of spice. It smells as if it has spent a fair amount of time on the lees. Deep yet creamy and chewy in the mouth. Like Univers, this has lovely presence and depth for a 12.5% wine. The acidity and depth of fruit combine perfectly in a wine that really needs to be sipped slowly to enjoy it to the full. Then, on the finish, the return of a slightly smoky reductive dry intensity that has as much to do with texture as flavour. Still a touch salty but more mineral. Incredibly long and satisfying. Even with so much intrigue and complexity, the fruit is delicious. Lingering and enticing finish. Still searching for words... (JH) 2020-2025 17.5 / 20 points
Elixir 2018
Pale lemon colour and very slightly cloudy. This has even more jasmine than the Lumière, but also the floral/muscat grape note, though here it is subtle and interlaced with a slight savoury flavour. On the palate, there are light spices, orange pith, apricot and yet it is utterly and deliciously dry with a dry, stony, grippy texture. Interestingly it seems to close up as it breathes in the glass, losing some of those more obvious varietal-derived aromas and becoming more mineral and stony. There are firm signs of lees work: creamy but with the smell of grainy pears. There is almost a hint of an herbal spice a little like curry leaf. The acidity is more pronounced than I expected, perhaps because it contrasts with the more perfumed flavours. Here the freshness seems to come more from the acidity than the salty minerality. Still absolutely complex and delicious. Real wine, like all these Muchada-Léclapart wines. Incredible length and unusual to find a wine that has the perfumed accent of the variety and yet so much vineyard expression. (JH) 2020-2022 17/20 points
Univers 2018
Very slightly cloudy. There's still a touch of reduction here: a deliciously complex aroma that's a kind of sour herb smokiness with just a hint of lapsang tea and hay. The fruit is a cross between pear and quince, but that's secondary to a stony, savoury, savoury character. Totally appealing. The aromatic complexity and intensity, and the impossible to describe aroma make me want to savour it even more. The palate is very similar to the nose, with a strongly saline flavour and an unexpected depth of mouthfeel for such a low alcohol wine. It is the kind of weightless intensity that is possible with old vines. The smoky / dusty minerality and hint of bitter quince in the bouquet also combine on the palate. And yet underneath all that is lovely herbaceous fruit, but not the kind that can be identified by analogy with the fruit we eat. Long, acidic and delicious finish. Impressive intensity which, looking at the simplicity of the winemaking, can only come from the vineyard and the transparency of Palomino to express terroir. May have a longer life than I have suggested. (JH) 2020-2023 17/20 points
