Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2021 Savennières Clos de la Hutte is never the most aromatic, but after a year in bottle, it is starting to reveal a little more of its true self—but only just. It remains a tight cloud of wine that blossoms in the mouth, seamless and round. It possesses excellent texture, substance and richness yet manages it in a not-heavy manner. Nectarine and tangerine fruit flavors linger on the textured finish, which holds the mouth with an assured clasp.
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.