Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Incredibly focused and steely, this samurai sword-like Savenniers is still very closed. Don’t hesitate to give it a ton of air if you want to drink it soon. Incredible interplay of salty, herbal and lemony elements on the very focused, compact, medium-bodied palate. Super long, stony finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.
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.