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Chenin Blanc Wines

Chenin Blanc Wines

Chenin Blanc Wines

Chenin Blanc is a grape varietal originating from the Loire Valley in France, where it first came to prominence as an excellent white wine centerpiece. Since its appearance, it has become a staple white wine varietal in many New World regions, especially South Africa and Australia. Similarities can be drawn between this magnificent grape and Tempranillo in terms of how they enhance the natural flavor of the terroir and draw a lot of identity from the region that produced them. However, poorly nurtured and neglected Chenin Blanc can end up feeling very bland and lifeless, and these wines end up functioning as landmines on your proverbial path towards discovering great whites.

If the soil contains a lot of clay, and the conditions are good, the resulting wine is beautifully enriched by noble rot and perfect for desserts, once it has enough time to mature and evolve. Meanwhile, more sandy soil compositions create a lighter sort of wine, one that lends itself to faster drinking as it needs less time to properly mature. Flavor-wise, you can expect to detect notes of honey, various aromatic flowers, peaches, and a very unique, minerally baseline that grounds the whole composition and gives it structure.

If you’re looking to explore some beautiful Chenin Blanc wines, we recommend starting with the Loire Valley. If you prefer something sweeter, look for New World blends like the Alheit Magnetic North Chenin Blanc. Whichever one you choose, you will have a cultural experience like no other, as the grape introduces you to subtleties and nuances of its region — a must-have for white wine aficionados.
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1990 francois pinon vouvray goutte dor Loire (Other)

(Vouvray “la Goutte d’Or”- Domaine François Pinon) I had never previously tasted the 1990 Vouvray “la Goutte d’Or” from Domaine François Pinon and this has to be one of my absolutely favorite wines from the vintage! This is not as heavily botrytized as say, the 1990 la Goutte d’Or from Domaine Foreau, but it is so deep, intensely flavored and precise that it has to be ranked at that same exalted level, despite it not being as rich and powerful. In fact, this has more of a 1989 character than a 1990 one, which is as high a praise as I can come up with for Vouvray, as 1989 is unequivocally my favorite vintage in the Touraine in the last forty years! The wine offers up a stunningly beautiful and vibrant bouquet of apricot, tangerine, tea leaves, salty soil tones, barley sugar and a topnote of orange peel. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and laser-like in its focus, with a great core, bright, zesty acids and stunning complexity and balance on the refined and endless finish. Sheer brilliance! (Drink between 2019-2070)John Gilman | 97 JG

97
JG
As low as $115.00
2022 Lena Filliatreau Saumur Blanc

The 2022 Saumur Blanc from Lena Filliatreau is a lovely wine. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a vibrant blend of sweet quince, lemon, chalky soil tones, limepeel, a touch of lanolin and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and complex, with a lovely core of fruit, fine soil signature, zesty acids and excellent focus and grip on the long and very well balanced finish. Fine juice that is already quite easy to drink, but will be even better with a few years’ worth of bottle age. (Drink between 2023 - 2040)John Gilman | 92 JG

92
JG
As low as $16.99

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