Nicolas Reau Anjou La Vie Est Belle

This bottle got buried beneath others and I aged it longer than intended. However it does not seem to have changed much from my former description, namely slightly prickly with brett hints at a level which did not spoil my enjoyment of the lively fruit.

This is a bit of a curate's egg. I like it but it is not far off being flawed. There is a slightly prickly feeling on the palate and touches of brett but these, at their present modest level, add complexity and are amply compensated by lively tangy fruit with a savoury touch, earthy minerals and fresh acidity. My bottles of 2015 were much rounder and suaver at a similar stage. This wine sees neither fining nor filtration so accidents …