Winemaker Notes
Les Caillardières is a single vineyard terroir of schist and sandstone where the grapes are normally harvested fully ripe, quite golden, in order to attain the classic Chenin complexity which is so desirable.
Aromatics of ripe quince, citrus zest, beeswax, almond and hazelnuts lead into a medium full bodied wine with crisp acidity, a nice mineral backbone and plenty of fleshy texture. Nice tension and honeyed notes are in perfect balance.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2020 Les Caillardières is a sinewy, firm and spicy wine. Pure, dry, clean and terroir-driven, the 35-year-old vines on schist and sand give drive and an attractive bitterness and grip, making this almost red wine-like on the conclusion. With yields of just 20hL/ha and partial fermentation in large barrels, you should expect concentrated fruit flavors of apple, spice and smoky nuts, but this is a wine whose quality is in its texture rather than its aromatics. A little more length would further enhance it.
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Wine Spectator
Elegant and pure, with mineral energy driving honey, lemon verbena and pear flavors. Shows a silky, refined palate, with nice spice and floral details bringing lift. Delivers the focused, acid-driven side of Chenin Blanc, filled out with generous flesh. Drink now through 2032.
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.