TN: Domaine des Baumard 1995 Coteaux du Layon Cuvee Le Paon

[Ray Barnes]

This domaine's reputation is almost unassailable; my past experiences with it have been great fun. This time around though, unless I overlooked something, was unexceptional. Deep orange brown color, very muted aromas, some flavors of green apple and marzipan, moderate acidity, and at best a short to medium length finish. Considering the high level of residual sugar, and the overall quality of the vintage, I expected this wine to have plenty of gas left in the proverbial tank, but it seems this bottle's best days are behind it. It was still drinkable, but not firing on all cylinders. This was tasted over two days with consistent results. It was not expensive, typical of the area, but I would hesitate to buy this vintage again. Overall assessment is good to very good. Le Paon translates as the Peacock, as illustrated on the colorful label.