Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Vinified and matured for eight months in large barrels (demi-muids), the 2022 Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Choisilles is particularly flamboyant in this vintage. It opens with a vivid bouquet of exotic fruits, ripe pear, flowers, spices and a subtle touch of reduction. Medium- to full-bodied, it is concentrated and fleshy, framed by a delicate thread of gastronomic bitterness that lends tension and complexity. The finish is long, deep and layered. More structured and dense than the Clos du Breuil.
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Wine Spectator
Weighty and serious, with quinine bitterness and mineral density the foundation for quince, tangerine and earthy lilac. Turns stern and chiseled on the racy palate, with lime oil, pickled ginger and cardamom chiming in. White grapefruitlaced acidity and tannins drive the finish, which is concentrated, straight-laced and long. Drink now through 2032. 2,500 cases made, 110 cases imported.
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.