Francois Chidaine is based in Montlouis, but has wonderful holdings just across the Loire in Vouvray as well. He is known in France and much of the larger wine world as an incredibly talented and focused farmer and has been practicing organic and biodynamic for many years, and more recently has begun adopting an approach known as “regenerative agriculture”. This practice eschews any tilling and instead grows cover crops of indigenous plants in natural rotation throughout the year . . . promoting biodiversity and helping remove CO2 from the atmosphere.
What importer Polaner Selections has to say about this wine...
Vineyard
The appellation of Montlouis is located at the junction of the Loire and Cher Rivers, and spreads across approximately 400 hectares. This wine was sourced from amongst 20 hectares of estate-owned, biodynamically farmed vines ranging from 30-90 years old. The yields average 35 hectoliters per hectare.
Soil
A base of limestone and chalk, overlaid with clay and coarse chunks of flint (which are two types named "Les Perruches" and "Les Aubois")
Viticulture
These biodynamically-farmed grapes are hand-harvested and sorted through multiple times.
Vinification
Following a pneumatic pressing, the juice is fermented with indigenous yeasts in 600L demi-muids for up to 6 months. No malolactic fermentation. No dosage.
Aging
Aged for 5-6 months on its fine lees in demi-muids, then in bottle "sur lattes" for a minimum of 12 months. Residual sugar ,2g/L
Details
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Grape Variety
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Vintage
2008
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Size
750ml
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Farming Practice
Biodynamic
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Sweetness
Dry
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Body
Medium Bodied
Loire Valley Wines
The Loire Valley is France’s greatest source of value for anyone looking for elegant, terroir-driven wines. Our collection celebrates the region’s great diversity, with the mineral-driven whites of Muscadet and Sancerre, the beautiful Chenin Blancs and Cabernet Francs from villages like Vouvray and Chinon, and natural wines from everywhere in the region. Sometimes wonderfully fresh and gulpable, sometimes serious and age-worthy, the prices are always very reasonable.
