Chenin blanc is a versatile grape variety that can be made into a range of styles; sparkling, dry white, sweet white and botrytised styles. Chenin is a grape variety that retains it's acidity when flavour ripe – excellent for sparkling wines. Thin skins makes this grape variety susceptible to botrytis infection – ideal for sweet botrytised wines.
Domaine Huet Vouvray, Touraine 🇫🇷
2014 Vouvray Petillant AOC
This is a unique style of sparkling wine – a crossover between pet-nat and traditional method. Made from biodymanic chenin blanc, the base wine retains enough residual sugar to support the yeast growth in bottle for the secondary fermentation. Aged in bottle on lees for 36 months before disgorging. It’s disgorged with a dosage of 1.2g/L which comes from a sweet wine based liqueur.
Funky, apple, pear, almond skin, marzipan, lightly sparkling, with a spike of acidity and touch of apple cider. This is a wine for those people who are into minimal intervention styles or pet-nat.
Thibaud Boudignon, Savenniéres 🇫🇷
2019 Anjou Blanc AOC
100% Chenin blanc, grown on schist soil. Hand picked, whole bunch pressed, no settling, full solids, wild ferment in stainless steel for 2-3 weeks. Aged on lees in 30% new oak for 15-18 months.
Complex aromas, dried herbs, sage, apple and pear, oak derived cinnamon and vanilla, wild yeast complexity, dry with bright acidity and great length.
Thierry Germain, Coteaux du Layon 🇫🇷
Cep by Cep 2020 Coteaux du Layon AOC
Grown is terraced schist soil, biodynamic farming, handpicked, no botrytis, passerille style. Wild ferment in neutral 400L barrels, with the ferment stopped at 80g/L sugar and 11% alc.
Marmalade, apricot, honey, ginger, vanilla, floral notes, and the acidity and sweetness strike a good balance without cloying on the finish.
Perfect to enjoy as an aperitif with foie gras or perhaps some blue cheese
Here we have three contrasting styles of Chenin from the Loire Valley, that show the versatility and diversity of wine styles from this part of the world.
What's your favourite Chenin style or appellation?
