Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Vinous
The 2022 Montlouis-sur-Loire Clos Michet is a seductive, charming style with a silken texture initially—you can't help but be sucked in by it. And yet, it has surprising freshness and line with just 12.5% alcohol, tying it all together as it moves through the palate. Salty and floral notes join pastry and subtle smoky bacon, while oak tones linger on the finish.
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.