Les Vignes de l'Arque Saveur d'Automne 2019 Pays de Cévennes (50cl)

Clear, pale straw colour, with orange glints. A delightfully intense, perfumed nose, with complex fruit and floral aromas including apricot, orange, fresh grapes, honey, root ginger, turkish delight and a subtle note of oak vanillin. The flavours are somewhere between moelleux and full-on doux, but the inherent richness of the super-ripe, late-harvested fruit (as the name of the wine suggests) is countered by cracking acidity and perhaps even a touch of grape tannin. There is a core of rich, ripe, densely concentrated peach and apricot fruit, with notes of lime oil, preserved root ginger and just a touch of spicy warmth, whilst the very long finish offers a final flourish of tropical fruit and candied citrus. The oak is beautifully judged and integrates seamlessly with the fruit, making for a wine of considerable complexity. Although it is dangerously more-ish, a little actually goes a long way. Whatever, this wine is perfectly capable of sitting in the fridge for a good many days after opening, during which it just gets better and better. A simply exceptional, exquisite, naturally sweet (i.e. not fortified) Viognier.