François Chidaine - Montlouis sur Loire Les Choisilles 2022 (sec)

Bettane & Desseauve

About the domain :

François Chidaine, one of the leaders of the Montlouis wine revival, brings out all the nuances of each parcel between flinty clay and white Tuffeau chalk, using a biodynamic growing method. Bringing a dozen hectares of Vouvray back to life on the other side of the river, this winemaker, well supported by his wife Manuela, now also counts on his children Alice and Pierre, who have joined the domaine. These great gourmet wines mature with time.

Decanter

About the wine:

The wine has a golden color and a citrus nose with a lemon sorbet perfume. The palate is rich and round, barely dry with 3 g/l residual sugar and a pineapple-like sweetness to the bright fruit. Clean and crisp, with delicious freshness and chalky minerality. Wonderful balance and elegance, with the lightness of texture that Chenin achieves in Montlouis. The finish is savory and saline. Very pleasant to drink. The wine undergoes a long fermentation in 600-liter old oak before resting on the lees in the same containers for a further six months or so.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

With its fresh, aromatic nuances, Les Choisilles is a fine wine.

About the domain :

Since his debut in 1989, François Chidaine has become a major player in Loire whites, an outstanding stylist now revered by many other winemakers. He is one of those who revealed Montlouis, his birthplace. In the early 2000s, he expanded into Vouvray, taking over Clos Baudoin from the Poniatowski family. With the help of his wife Manuéla, François has continued to refine his vinification and ageing techniques, working to the highest standards in his vineyards, which have been certified biodynamic since 1999. We have nothing but praise for the level reached by the wines of this exceptional winemaker. The wines of France are in fact the vouvrays which, vinified outside their appellation zone, cannot lay claim to it. The range consists of blends of parcels (Choisilles, Argiles, Tuffeaux, Moelleux) and unique lieux-dits (Clos du Breuil, Les Bournais, Clos Habert, Baudoin). The sparkling fruit of these wines needs a few years in the cellar to open up and reveal its full potential. A must for all lovers of the great Loire expressions of Chenin.