Winemaker Notes
Blend: 100% Chenin
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Marketed as Vin de France, the newest release of the former Saumur is the 2019 Chenin Arcane. Born on iron-rich silex soils, the wine opens still yeasty and reductive on the complex and mysterious nose, with notes of iron, iodine and ripe fruits with ethereal herbal nuances. However, the wine still lacks the purity, precision and finesse of the Cabernets at this early stage, and this was still the case after several days of aeration. Rich, round and highly refined on the palate, this is a full-bodied, complex, very long and intense Chenin with ripe pear aromas and a persistent structure with fine tannins, salts and this abundant fruit. I am convinced this is another great terroir and vintage-driven Chenin from the Piré families, yet I would cellar it for at least 5-10 years.
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.