François Chidaine, Les Bournais Sec, Vin de France, Loire, France, 2022

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

The vineyard is managed biodynamically. No chemical phytosanitary products are used. Melliferous or nematicide plants or cereals are sown in the rows. The preparations used come only from processed plant, animal and mineral materials. The soil is clay-limestone in nature without coarse flint elements. The subsoil is made up of Tuffeau, a soft, white limestone rock through which the roots create a passage.

Winemaking

After gentle pressing, alcoholic fermentation takes place using indigenous yeasts in 600-litre demi-muids and can extend over six months. Malolactic fermentation is intentionally avoided. The wine is then aged on fine lees, also in demi-muids, to enhance complexity and texture.

Tasting Note

This dry, mineral-driven white wine presents a bright, clear appearance. It showcases purity and elegance, with vibrant notes of citrus and white stone fruits. On the palate, it offers a harmonious balance, culminating in a precise, saline, and tension-filled finish.

Food Matching

A wine for Crottin de Chavignol goats cheese, grilled sole with lemon herb butter, or leek gratin.