Pinon 2018 Vouvray Les Trois Argiles

(Arrives 8/22) Another outstanding Vouvray from our friends François and Julien Pinon in Vallée de Cousse, the 2018 "Trois Argiles" shows subtle, complex aromas of lemon, pear, earth, lime-flower, wet stone and almond. There is a hint of sweetness on the palate, perfectly balanced with firm acidity, with mineral flavors, white fruits, lemon peel and herbal notes. The finish is very long with citrusy acids and saline minerals. This is a beautiful young Vouvray that is delicious now with fish or chicken in sauce, Asian cuisnes, vegetable patés, asparagus and mild cheeses. This will gain complexity and become dryer with age, drink at least until 2050. 22 gr/liter RS., 4.1 g/L total acid.  David Lillie

Chidaine, François 2019 Montlouis Clos du Breuil

The Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire "Clos du Breuil" is from a great parcel of 60 year-old Chenin Blanc vines, next to the Clos Habert, sloping to the northwest, on soils of clay with silex stones ("perruches") over the white limestone "tuffeau." Always a dry and very crystalline Chenin, equal in quality to the "Les Bournais" but in a more austere, mineral style more typical of Montlouis. The 2019 has just arrived and the wine is quite dense and earthy, very marked by the silex soils. The wine will need a few years to really open up, but is showing subtle aromas of stone, citrus, almond, lemon and ripe pear, with elegant white fruits on the silky, round palate with a slightly bitter, mineral character, with citrus zest and saline, earthy notes in the finish. delicious now with cod, sole or flounder, but this will be interesting in ten to fifteen years,  (Beatifully balanced at 4.4 g/L RS, 13% alc, 4.07 g/l total acidity.)  David Lillie

Chidaine, François 2019 Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Choisilles

Francois Chidaine has been one of the leading proponents of organic and regenerative agriculture in the Loire valley and has had a profound influence on the resurgence of Montlouis. Les Choisilles is vinified dry, from parcels of 30 to 90 year-old vines on clay and silica soils over limestone "tuffeau." The soils are kept "green," beneficial plants grow in the rows and only organic composts are used. Fermentation of Les Choisilles can last up to six months, with wild yeasts, no malo-lactic, aging on the lees in large barrels.  The 2019 is a very beautiful "Les Choisilles" with ripe aromas of lime-flower, pineapple, lemon and pear. The palate is silky and well-structured with chalk and mineral flavors underlying creamy pear and citrus fruit, finishing dryer than expected with firm minerality in the very long finish.  Though delicious now,  served with grilled fish, fish and chicken in sauce and shellfish, the Les Choisilles will open nicely over the next ten to fifteen years and should be considered for the cellar. 4.7 g/L RS, 13.5% alc, 3.85 g/L total acidity. David Lillie

Chidaine, François 2019 Montlouis Sur Loire Les Bournais

(Wine arrives Jan 25) This is usually our favorite wine from François and Manuela Chidaine, long-time champions of organic and biodynamic farming in the Loire Valley. Named after the soil type "Les Bournais," a unique clay topsoil over limestone (tuffeau blanche) also found across the river in Vouvray and without the silex present in most Montlouis terroirs. First made in a sec-tendre style, recent vintages have been dry, with the 2019 showing perfect balance  at 2.6 g/L RS, 13% alc and 4.51 g/L total acidity. The 2019 shows the wine's normal astonishing aromatic complexity with hints of red fruits (raspberry), lime flower, pineapple, lemon zest, stone, white peach and almond. The palate is very elegant and a bit austere in it's youth, showing firm acidity with earth and mineral flavors predominant over white fruits, bitter lemon, almond and stone. Very long and very bright citrus and mineral finish. This is a beautiful Montlouis that will  pair with mildly flavored fish, ceviche and goat cheeses in it's youth, with age serve with lobster, white meats and fish in sauce, Asian foods.... It's delicious now, and should be very interesting after ten to fifteen years in the cellar. Highly recommended.  ($41.39 0n case or mixed case purchase) David Lillie

Chidaine, François 2018 Montlouis-sur-Loire Clos Habert

 Francois Chidaine's "Clos Habert" is from a single vineyard of old vines on a high plateau near the winery, on soils of clay, mixed with fine pieces of flint over the white limestone "tuffeau." The fruit is picked late in successive "tries" with the aim of producing a demi-sec which usually has 12 to 20 grams of residual sugar per liter. Fermentation is with wild yeats in 600 liter barrels and can take six months. The 2018 "Clos Habert" is one of the great "sec-tendre" of the Loire, with about 10 gr/L RS. Tasted last winter, the wine showed a brilliant bright gold color and was elegant and closed -  retasted on arrival in NY, the wine shows a wonderful melange of mandarin and lemon peel, ripe green apple and pear,  honeysuckle and white pepper, just beautiful. The palate shows very ripe white and yellow fruits, with citrus confit and very firm flinty, calcaire flavors with anise and spice in the long, silky finish, showing fabulous length and energy. This should develop beautifully over the next 20 - 30 years and is highly recommended. David Lillie

Chidaine, François 2019 Vin de France (Vouvray) "Baudoin"

Francois and Manuel Chidaine have led a revival of quality in Montlouis over the last twenty-five years and are now making outstanding Vouvrays from the former Poniatowski vineyards in Vouvray. The Chidaine's vinyeard work is among the finest in France and the disaster they took over from Poniatowski has happily come back to life, being a mix of old vines and new plantings. The Clos Baudoin is certainly one of the greatest sites in Vouvray and the 2019 is a perfectly balanced, extremely elegant wine that will drink well over the next twenty years. (It's bone dry at 1.9 g/L RS, 13% alc and 4.62 g/L total acid.) The aromas are bright and floral with lemon peel, pineapple, quince and stone with herbal, minty hints. The palate is vibrant with firm acidity and chalky minerals with citrus, quince, stone and almond, finishing with citrus and mineral flavors. Refreshing and delicious now, it will really sing in 2031!  David Lillie

Pinon, François 2012 Vouvray Brut Non-Dosé

The re-release of the Pinon 2012 Brut Non-Dosé is drinking beautifully now, after 7-plus years on the lees. Even at my advanced age, I plan on cellaring a case of this very special wine for another ten to twenty years. Here is our original review: François and Julien Pinon make some of the finest sparkling wines in the Loire Valley. The superb Brut Non-Dosé comes from 45 year-old Chenin Blanc vines on Turonien limestone with topsoils of clay with silex. The fermentation lasts 4 to 6 weeks without added yeast or sugar. 2012 is a beautiful year for this wine as the bright fruit and firm acidity of the vintage contribute to the elegance and structure of this cuvée. The wine shows aromas of creamy lemon, pear, brioche, fines herbes and stone, with pear, green apple. mineral, herbal and bitter lemon flavors on the palate. The mousse is fine and refreshing and there is fabulous length of dried herbs, citrus pear and stone flavors on the finish. This very young wine will develop nicely in the glass and will cellar beautifully for twenty years or more - a few years ago we tasted a 1976 that was sensational.  David Lillie

Pinon, François & Julien 2017 Vouvray Brut Non-Dosé

François and Julien Pinon make some of the finest sparkling wines in the Loire Valley. The superb Brut Non-Dosé comes from 45 year-old Chenin Blanc vines on Turonien limestone with topsoils of clay with silex, from four parcels; Les Haut de Terne, Les Hauts de Mortiers, Chopet and Les Planches Favettes. The 2017 was hand-harvested at the beginning of October in three passes in order to select the best grapes, with two additional selections - on a "table de tri" and again before the press. Thus the best and ripest grapes are selected, enabling this cuvée with no addition of sugar, as in a Champagne Brut Nature.  (Two to three year elévage sur lies.) The robe is a pale greenish yellow hue. The nose offers an attractive mélange of stone fruit, green tea, pear skin, and flint on the nose.The palate is layered and lithe, with a fine bead, and soft mousse, featuring flavors of stone, orange oil, and quince, culminating in a sapid, mineral finish. This has fine balance and energy with compelling saltiness underlying the pretty fruit; in a word: superb! John McIlwain

Pinon, François & Julien 2017 Vouvray Brut

Many of you may instinctively reach for the Pinon Vouvray Non-Dosé, and while that is an excellent and refreshing example of sparkling Chenin Blanc, you should absolutely not dismiss the utter deliciousness of the Brut! The Chenin's of Pinon are some of the best in Vouvray due to their impeccable farming, diversity of clay, limestone, and silex soils, and deliberate, albeit low-intervention, cellar work. The Vouvray Brut comes from ~45 year-old vines that are hand-harvested during the first pass of the season. It is made in the traditional method with two to three years resting on the lees before disgorgement with 10 g r/s. On the nose is a just baked pie with pear and apricot, a bit of honey and dried chamomile, and on the palate are soft, persistent bubbles (it even stayed alive after two days in the fridge!) and a textured mineral-driven finish. Perfectly balanced to be just the slightest bit off-dry owing to the vibrant acidity, it will be delightful as an aperitif or with a selection charcuterie and cheese. Michelle DeWyngaert

Pinon 2016 Vouvray "Le 16"

100% Chenin Blanc. Pinon's only white wine in this very difficult and short vintage in which the estate lost 75% of its harvest. The "Le 2016" replaces the usual Trois Argiles, Silex Noir and Les Deronnières bottlings, with fruit from a range of those and other parcels. The vines average 40 years in age, are certified organic and were hand-harvested from October 10-18. Fermentation took place spontaneously with natural yeasts and lasted 2-3 months in wood vats. The wine was aged 4-5 months on its fine lees in old tonneaux (large oak barrels) and gently filtered before bottling in April 2017 with 22.4 grams/liter of residual sugar and 5.5 g/L total acid.  Total production of Le 2016 was 1600 cases (a yield of only 11 hl/ha). The wine shows lovely aromas of lime-flower, honeyed citrus, dried white fruis and earth. Firm lemony acidity and mineral flavors underlie  ripe white fruits and lemon confit. The finish is very long with citrus,honey, pear and stone . Technically a Demi-Sec, the wine is balanced by the bright citrusy acids and will pair well with charcuterie, fish in sauce and white meats. Cellar for twenty to thirty years to create a fabulous mature Vouvray.  David Lillie

Pinon 2018 Vouvray Silex Noir

(Arrives Friday 3/24) Our friends Francois and Julien Pinon produce sensational Vouvray at their estate in Vallée du Cousse and the 2018 Silex Noir is another superb example. From approximatley 40 year-old vines on soils of clay and flint over limestone in the vineyards of Terné and Batailleries. The wine shows beautiful aromas of white fruits, citrus, wildflowers earth and honey. Chalky white fruits, earth, lemon and stone on the palate with a creamy texture typical of 2018, with nice finishing acidity and mineral flavors. A bit of residual sugar brings out all the best in this lovely Chenin Blanc, delicious now - decant a few hours in advance if possible - or cellar 20 to 30 years. Serve with rillettes and rillons, fish in sauce, lobster, langoustines and scallops, chicken in cream sauce, too. (26 g/L RS, 4.1 g/L total acid.)

Pinon 2018 Vouvray Les Déronnières

The grapes for this  cuvée from Francois Pinon (first made in 2014)  used to be included in the Silex Noir, but this wonderful vineyard, the Pinon's best parcel on a hill-top directly above their cellar, much deserves to be bottled on its own.  The soil is clay over Turonian limestone, and the beautiful exposure gives ripe fruit that is normally vinified as a demi-sec. In 2018 it's fabulously ripe, dense and complex, and finished dry (for Vouvray) in 2018, with a technically sec level of 8 grams RS and a very firm 4.7 grams acidity. The wine shows elegant aromas of lime-flower, dried pear, lemon zest and stones. The palate is very supple and ripe, saline and mineral with round white fruits, citrus and herbal notes with impressive density and length. A great Vouvray with fantastic minerality  that will age beautifully!  (The Pinon 1964 Demi-Sec is extraordiary now...) Normally thought of as a fish wine, the flavors and texture of this wine will make it pair beautifully with poultry and white meats as well.  Highly recommended.  David Lillie

Pinon 2019 Vouvray Sec

This is a terrific wine and a great value! The Pinon 2019 Vouvray Sec is from vines in organic farming on clay soils over Turonian limestone. The fermentation lasted for three months, with no added yeast or sugar, and was stopped by chilling the juice, followed by five months of aging in old barrels, on the lees. While 2019 was troubled by frost in spring and periods of drought and heat, in the end the vintage produced balanced whites in Vouvray with good acidity and moderate alcohol. The Pinon 2019 Sec is indeed dry at 8 g/L RS and 12.5% alc and shows aromas of citrus confit, almond, green tea, stone, anise and white fruits. The palate has vibrant acidity with saline mineral flavors, and good density, with green apple and lemon zest, finishing with firm acidity, citrus, apple and wet stone. Give this young wine some aeration (!) or a few years in the cellar then serve with shellfish and oysters, grilled fish, vegetable terrines, seafood choucroute, rillons and rillettes (you may have to go to Touraine for those..)  David Lillie