Winemaker Notes
Crisp apple, blossom honey, and a subtle note of grapefruit zest on the nose. Juicy and penetrating on the palate, offering lively orange zest and orchard fruit flavors along with hints of anise and honeysuckle. Very pure and focused.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A flavorful and charming white with notes of cooked lemons, yellow plums, flower honey, flint, wet stones, white flowers and a touch of spice. Medium body with a core of ripe lemons and yellow fruit at the center and a svelte texture. Bright acidity gives energy to the mid-palate. Seductive and well-composed. Honeyed, mineral long finish with a zesty kick.
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Wine Spectator
Seems opulent at first, though this shows nice restraint and impressive poise. A tightly coiled beam of apple, citrus peel and bitter almond skin are covered in a layer of sea salt and dried thyme, with floral highlights. Showing a lot of power and chalky mineral concentration, this will benefit from more time in bottle.
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.
On the south bank of the Loire River, below Vouvray, Montlouis produces all styles of Chenin blanc from bone dry, off-dry, sweet, oak aged and even the sparkling Montlouis Mousseux and Montlouis Pétillant Naturel. Soils here are lighter and sandier compared to Vouvray.