Winemaker Notes
100% Chenin Blanc
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
A nose full of complexity, rich with honey, beeswax, vanilla and wood. The palate is alive, vital, and although the finish is long it is quite closed at present, so needs more time in bottle to develop. The one-hectare Clos de Venise is a superb vineyard on the premier côte in the commune of Noizay. There is some clay and flint over limestone. The grapes are hand harvested with the initial sorting done in the vineyard as is customary throughout Jacky Blot’s vineyards. It is fermented and aged in Burgundian barrels, some new. This wine ought to be a Vouvray but due to politics within the Vouvray regional body they have to be labelled Vin de France. The late Jacky, his wife Joëlle and their son Jean-Philippe are one of the great Loire success stories. From modest beginnings they have built a world class estate for both white (Chenin) and red (Cabernet Franc). Jacky died after a short illness on 15th May 2023. These wines are a fine testament to his passion for quality.
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Wine Spectator
Fresh crushed apple, dried ginger and ripe pear flavors show beautiful purity and form, firmed up by a racy beam of acidity and salty mineral notes. Full and rich without feeling fat, this is beautifully balanced through the savory, smoke-kissed finish. Drink now through 2030.
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.
Praised for its stately Renaissance-era chateaux, the picturesque Loire valley produces pleasant wines of just about every style. Just south of Paris, the appellation lies along the river of the same name and stretches from the Atlantic coast to the center of France.
The Loire can be divided into three main growing areas, from west to east: the Lower Loire, Middle Loire, and Upper/Central Loire. The Pay Nantais region of the Lower Loire—farthest west and closest to the Atlantic—has a maritime climate and focuses on the Melon de Bourgogne variety, which makes refreshing, crisp, aromatic whites.
The Middle Loire contains Anjou, Saumur and Touraine. In Anjou, Chenin Blanc produces some of, if not the most, outstanding dry and sweet wines with a sleek, mineral edge and characteristics of crisp apple, pear and honeysuckle. Cabernet Franc dominates red and rosé production here, supported often by Grolleau and Cabernet Sauvignon. Sparkling Crémant de Loire is a specialty of Saumur. Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc are common in Touraine as well, along with Sauvignon Blanc, Gamay and Malbec (known locally as Côt).
The Upper Loire, with a warm, continental climate, is Sauvignon Blanc country, home to the world-renowned appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Pinot Noir and Gamay produce bright, easy-drinking red wines here.