Michel Huard 2001 (20yo) 40%

Early 2000s AOC, and another Huard expression…

Colour: Dark amber, orange lights. Irregular medium tears.

Nose: Juicy, with ample, vivid citrus notes at first, full of tangerine and bergamot aromas. Reminiscent of some hesperidic perfumes like Eau de Basilic Pourpre from Hermès or Bergamotto di Calabria from Acqua di Parma. Truly impressive. A touch of cedarwood too. Tailor-made for a journey along the Mediterranean Sea.

Palate: Even at 40%, it delivers intensity and plenty of aromas. Delicious fresh peppery notes of Sichuan pepper. Even fresher than the nose. Honeysuckle, bay leaf, peppermint. And that typical rusticity of AOC Calvados, with yuzu bitterness and herbal notes.

Last Notes: Damp cellar and briny notes. Hints of rancio indeed. Less fresh than previously perceived. Nice honeyed tones. Back on the palate, you get a bunch of acidulous aromas like violet sweets. It ends on those specific berlingot sweets (the ones from Nantes are really good), plus a touch of basil.

Intense freshness, complexity and rusticity. Ageing beautifully, evolving and clearly translating its terroir. And funky on top of that?

My very subjective note: 89+/100