Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Vinous
The 2019 Fidès is a pure, richly concentrated Chenin Blanc with huge power and attractive bitterness. A frost-affected crop, the low yields have packed a lot of interest in this mid-weight package with a firm line of acidity driving through the core. In this vintage, the pH is low, and there was no malolactic conversion, adding to that sense of power and direction. The long finish is almost salty. If I were going to be punched in the face, this is the way I would want it to be done, but you might want to wait for it to calm down.
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.