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Francois Chidaine, Montlouis Brut Nature Methode Traditionelle, 2022

$39.99
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Sparkling Chenin from one of the Loire's great Chenin masters, made bone dry with no dosage at all — nothing sweet to hide behind, just the fruit and the chalk. François Chidaine farms these Montlouis parcels biodynamically, now with no-till and permanent cover crops between the rows, on a base of limestone and chalk topped with clay and coarse chunks of flint (the locals call these soils "les perruches" and "les aubois"). It's made like Champagne — traditional method, second fermentation in bottle — but the base wine goes the Chidaine way: pneumatic pressing, wild-yeast fermentation in 600-litre demi-muids that can run six months, no malolactic, then a minimum of a year sur lattes. The result has the texture and seriousness of his still wines with a fine bead on top. Given what traditional-method sparkling from more famous addresses costs, this is one of the smarter bubbles on the shelf — and a great argument that Chenin does this as well as anyone.

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More about Francois Chidaine

François Chidaine helped put Montlouis firmly back on the map of world-class Chenin Blanc. He took over his family's vines in 1989 and today farms about 30 hectares of Chenin, many of them 40 to 80 years old, in Montlouis and across the river in Vouvray. Everything has been certified organic and biodynamic since 2003. The wines are pure, precise and deeply expressive of their limestone and flint soils, from bone-dry to gently sweet.

Wine Details

  • Grape Variety

    Chenin Blanc

  • Vintage

    2022

  • Size

    750ml

  • Farming Practice

    Biodynamic

  • Style

    Crisp

  • Sweetness

    Dry

  • Body

    Medium Bodied

Flatiron's Take

From the Importer

What Polaner Selections has to say about this wine:

Biodynamic

Certified

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.

Orientation

Multiple parcels, exposure varies.

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

Tasting Notes & Food Pairings

Perfect Pairings

Oysters on the half shell, fried smelts or salt-cod fritters, chicken liver mousse on toast, goat cheese (Sainte-Maure or Selles-sur-Cher), roast chicken with lemon, or tempura vegetables.

Tasting Profile

Pale gold with a fine, persistent bead. Aromas of white flowers, lemon and green apple, with a light yeasty note from time on the lees. Light-bodied and completely dry — no dosage, so nothing rounds off the edges — with bright, cutting acidity and a chalky, stony finish that stays clean and dry.

LEARN

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.