2018 François Chidaine Montlouis Choisilles Chenin Blanc

Blended from different plots with silex soils. Very elegant on the nose, offering apple and pear plus hints of pepper, smoke, crushed stone and honey. Lithe and lean in the mouth, featuring underripe apricot and pear, bright acids and tons of minerality. Franois Chidaine is one of the pioneers of Montlouis as well as of biodynamic growing and natural winemaking, with 30 hectares of 40- to 80-year-old vines in Montlouis Ð and also in Vouvray. However, those vineyards in Vouvray (Les Argiles and the legendary site Clos Baudoin) now must be labeled Vin de France due to a petty, contentious appellation rule change a few years ago. All of Chidaine’s wines see long fermentations and are aged for 10 months, with about 10% new oak. Chidaine’s dry Chenin Blancs were among the finest I tasted for this report.