François Chidaine, Montlouis Sec, Clos du Beuil, Montlouis-sur-Loire, Touraine, Loire, France, 2023

Producer Profile

François Chidaine is the producer who put Montlouis firmly back on the map of world class Chenin Blanc’s.

An early disciple of ‘Biodynamie’, he has succeeded in producing some of the most elegant Loire whites with consistently great balance between ripeness and structure.

Viticulture

Clos du Breuil is a single parcel with flinty clay and limestone soils, farmed biodynamically by François Chidaine with deep respect for the land. Low yields and careful hand-harvesting ensure ripeness with perfect balance. No herbicides or chemical treatments are used.

Winemaking

Fermentation is spontaneous using indigenous yeasts in old demi-muids (large oak barrels). The wine is aged on lees for several months without bâtonnage, and no new oak is used—allowing the purity of fruit and minerality to shine through.

Tasting Note

Pale gold in the glass, offering a nose of crushed pear, green apple, honeysuckle, and lemongrass, underpinned by distinct notes of chalky minerality and citrus peel. On the palate, it is tense, precise, and mouth-watering, with vibrant acidity, crystalline fruit, and a laser-like structure. Flavours of white peach, quince, grapefruit zest, and a touch of raw almond unfold with great clarity. The finish is long, saline, and almost electric, with a persistent mineral core that echoes the limestone-rich terroir. A wine of energy, finesse, and quiet power.

Food Matching

Goats’ cheese and honey tart, or Vietnamese lemongrass tofu with jasmine rice.

Awards