Edmond et Anne Vatan, Sancerre, Clos la Néore 2005

2.5cm; lightly nicked wax capsules 95 points John Gilman Another two and a half years has passed since I last checked in on a bottle of the 2005 Vatan Sancerre, and the wine is aging beautifully and really now seems destined to be one of the great recent vintages of this wine. While I have always liked this wine, I have wondered how it would eventually handle the quite heady ripeness of the ’05 vintage, as this wine is a full fourteen percent octane and at times in its early adolescence, one could sense the alcohol just behind the other elements in the wine. Happily, this most recent bottle was the 'coolest' and most classic showing of the 2005 since its early release days and the wine was absolutely singing, soaring from the glass in a beautiful blend of lime, fresh mint, chalky minerality, a touch of cress, fresh almond and a still a touch of youthful white pepper in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, crisp and classic kaleidoscopic in its expression of