Clear Libations

A much lauded agricole, widely available on the bottom shelf of French supermarkets. Potentially a stunning value proposition?

Nose Bright and powerful, very citrus forward, particularly sharp lemons, but also bergamot, grapefruit, calamansi, with a lot of pips. A bit of industrial grease, and a ton of salt, play-doh even. Grass juice? Petrichor. Not much change with water, but it takes a drop.

Palate A very strong impression here. Full mouthfeel from the off, it balances that electric, lemon driven citrus side with a mild cane sweetness. Then tons of liquorice, some mineral oil, lemon peel, earth. Somehow clean and dirty at the same time. Goes on quite long, with that oily mouthfeel clinging. Again, water isn't too beneficial.

Comments This is a bit of a masterclass in what I think of as a classical agricole profile. The liquorice, presence in the mouth, and price point win me over. Bielle has some super fans, but I only count myself as a fan.

Price around €30 per litre.

Score^?7/10

La Favorite ranks very highly in my book, I really loved the Bel'Air cuvée. This one is another of their single plot, single variety bottlings.

Nose Rich, more cane forward than [the Bielle]. Petrichor for days, fruity peppercorns, sandalwood, a touch of potpourri (rose?). Musty old books, greenhouse, bagasse. Full of earth and spice, backed up by subtle cane sweetness. This is really nice and very "La Fav".

Palate Gorgeously spicy - sandalwood, green peppercorns, earth, salt - all backed up by a very solid cane sweetness. Petrichor, grapefruit, lime, watercress. This is a rather rich profile and extremely characterful. The most delicious dirt ever.

Comments I love this more decadent nose, and the petrichor is to die for. If the Bielle is Riesling, perhaps this is Grüner. (Ed: that doesn't make any sense.)

Price around €43 per 70cl.

Score^?7+/10

Another distillery we hold in high regard, but we've never tried their standard offering until now – only higher proof organics and some aged bottlings (which are never as good as the best blancs).

Nose A bit quieter here. Angelica, a little raspberry, seawater, sugarcane. Orange creamsicle? Oxidised white wine? Baby sick? Not a lot jumping out, a subtle nose. A little water does help to find notes.

Palate Powerful entry with some heat, driven by green notes, peppermint and bell pepper, alongside cane. Earth, liquorice root, and a bit of fino starting to turn to vinegar. Decent texture, and a touch of sweetness. Eventually there is a hint of those raspberries, and grapefruit. The length is medium, with some residual bitterness.

Comments Solid, but struggles amongst the others, particularly on the nose. There are better Neissons, perhaps better batches even. This will make an excellent ti' punch.

Price around €35 per litre.

Score^?5/10

A nice vintage bottle of Neisson blanc, pre-AOC. Probably from the 80s as there is no barcode. I think this was the standard offering back in the day, so comparable to the standard blanc – the presentation is almost identical, at least. The level in the bottle had dropped to mid-shoulder.

Nose Full of juicy fruit gum, old books in an attic. Some apples and pears, banana. Not hugely expressive, but characterful.

Palate Old books, smoking room, juicy fruit. A good bit of sweetness. Elegant throughout. Medium finish with white pepper and pears.

Comments Closer to some of my favourite Neissons with all this subtle fruit. I feel this has lost a little to evaporation perhaps, because it's a touch 'flat'. I definitely prefer it to the contemporary bottling though.

Price Unknown

Score^?6/10