Eric Morgat Savennières 'Fidès' 2019

“You don’t find average wines in Savennières like you would somewhere like Chablis – it’s either terrible or exceptional.” In 1995, the 25-year-old Eric Morgat was drawn to Savennières from the nearby village of Layon and spent the next three decades building his domaine completely from scratch – a remarkable endeavour considering the appellation is not an internationally recognised brand name or an easy-to-define style of wine.

Defined by delicious tannins and pithy bitterness, Morgat’s Chenin Blancs have a weightless density comparable to Grand Cru Burgundy, and yet they taste so different to other Savennières benchmarks – Leroy, Joly, and Boudignon. 

In a vintage where some growers struggled due to spring frosts and warm conditions before harvest, Morgat’s 2019s offer perfect balance between raw power and fine-boned subtlety. ‘Fidès’ is rich with honeyed fruit tempered by sea breeze, sinewy mineral drive, and tingling acidity.