Winemaker Notes
"Ex muros" is Latin for "outside the walls," referencing the fact that this Chenin Blanc comes not from the estate but from a neighboring 3-hectare parcel of 40–80 year old Chenin Blanc in the highly regarded terroir of Brézé, which the Chaintres team has leased and transitioned to organic and biodynamic viticulture (certified in 2020). The warm clay soils infused with an unique green limestone-chalk lend a richness to palate while remaining precise, seamless and balanced—an electricity straight out of the bottle that makes you sit up straight in your chair!
Unquestionably one of the most diverse grape varieties, Chenin Blanc can do it all. It shines in every style from bone dry to unctuously sweet, oaked or unoaked, still or sparkling and even as the base for fortified wines and spirits. Perhaps Chenin Blanc’s greatest asset is its ever-present acidity, maintained even under warm growing conditions. Somm Secret—Landing in South Africa in the mid 1800s, today the country has double the acreage of Chenin Blanc planted compared to France. There is also a new wave of dedicated producers committed to restoring old Chenin vines.
Marked by great châteaux built with the same tuffeau limestone that is also responsible for the excavation of so many of the famed Loire caves, Saumur is famous for its Chenin blanc based sparkling wines. Inside the Saumur region, Saumur-Champigny creates some of the Loire’s greatest Cabernet Francs.