Winemaker Notes
In his book Adventures, Kermit Lynch outlines the magic of old-school Savennières, aged in chestnut casks. The rise of stainless steel sadly put many such coopers out of business, but fortunately the team at Château d’Épiré can still count on one reliable chestnut purveyor. This material is an excellent match for schist-born Chenin Blanc, as it accentuates the wine’s stony austerity without imparting any woody flavor. The 2018 blend also includes a couple barrels each of acacia, highlighting Chenin’s subtle floral tendencies, and old oak, exalting its fleshy structure with nary a hint of vanilla or toast. With a rigid backbone of acidity and a bone-dry finish recalling fresh walnuts, this is quintessential Savennières.
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.
Known for its delightful whites and sparkling Pétillant and Mousseux, made predominantly of Chenin blanc, Anjou has a temperate and dry maritime climate. The region's limited temperature variations are admiringly referred to locally as the “douceur angevine,” or “Anjou sweetness.” Fruit forward rosé and red wines from Cabernet Franc and Gamay merit Anjou its success within the Loire subregions.