2022 Jonathan Pabiot Pouilly-Fume Luminance

Luminance opens like a basket of stone fruits on the nose. The palate is mineral and chalky, with some confit lemon, ripe but also very fresh. This wine is wholly fermented and aged in concrete, which makes the concentrated and pristine fruit stand out. But the finish has a mildly nettle bite, contrasting with the super-ripe fruit. From a single hectare of low-yielding vines overlooking the Loire River. 91 points

A top-of-the-range cuvee from Kimmeridgian marl, until recent years called Predilection, now renamed Luminance. Again this communicates the warm and aromatic style that pervades the Pabiot portfolio in the 2022 vintage, the nose filled with fragrant peach, pear and red apple. The palate carries a supple and integrated style which shows a little more harmony than Aubaine. Having said that this is still characterised by the flavours of fresh apple, pear and lychee, all resting on a finely grained substance of fine phenolic grip and soft acidity. As such it simply does not raise itself much above the level of the Aubaine in 2022, and I am sure there are other vintages I would drink in preference to this. The alcohol on the label is 12.5%. 91 points