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

Closel (Château des Vaults) 2018 Savennières Clos du Papillon (Stained Labe

(Please Note: Current inventory of the 2018 "Clos du Papillon" has  partially stained labels) "The Clos du Papillon is a small valley at mid slope, beautifully exposed southwest to the light of the Loire. There are schist, rhyolite but also quartz. The topsoil layer is very shallow (60 cm) which provides excellent drainage for rainwater. The vine growing conditions are difficult, forcing it to develop its roots deep in the rock cracks to draw nutrients. The climate in that parcel allows for a level of highly advanced maturity, with grapes that concentrate aromas under the action of botrytis.  The body and the very long finish make the Clos du Papillon a gastronomic wine to accompany lobster, scallops, smoked fish, Turbots, Saint Peter. It is also interesting with delicate white meats such as veal or capon, along with truffles or mushrooms. Classic mountain cheeses like old Salers, or 5 to 6 years old Comté are equally delicious with this great Savennières." -  Domaine du Closel.    2018 is a great vintage for the Clos du Papillon, combining excellent ripeness with bright acidity and great balance - the wine shows beautiful aromas of ripe pear and quince with honeysuckle, lime-flower and dried herbs with hints of smoke and earth.  The palate is superb, very ripe and dense with white fruits, citrus, almond and stone with very firm lemony acidity and mineral flavors. The finish is very long with bitter lemon and saline minerals. Drinking beautifully now, this should age perfectly, peak drinking perhaps to 2040 and beyond. David Lillie

Domaine Aux Moines 2019 Savennieres Roche Aux Moines

 Domaine aux Moines is operated by an incredible mother/daughter (Monique & Tessa Laroche) team organically, and now with biodynamic practices as well, farming under 10 hectares of Chenin Blanc. The vineyards stand next to the famed 'Coulée de Serrant' on South-West facing hillsides of predominately schist soils. Since her arrival Tessa has been improving every detail to be able to make more precise, transparent, complex wines. The results are spectacular and she is now one of the best examples of Roche-aux-Moines, and of course also Savennières. "This vintage the crop came in at 21 hl/ha, the juice vinified 95% in barrels and 5% in cuves. The nose is very finely polished and crystalline, with a smoky and reductive edge, with enticing scents of white peach and freesias. The palate has a delicious harmony and a vinous presence, supple and textured, sinewy and complete, with notes of orange peel, chamomile, and honeysuckle. This is all laid out on a frame of charged minerality and acidity. A wine with sweet energy and great length, this can only be described as fantastic." thewinedoctor 03/22

Sansonnière (Mark Angéli) 2019 Vin de France La Lune

"Geology in our beloved region of Anjou is the most complicated in the world. The soil is different every 20 meters, ranging from - 10 million to - 1 billion B.C. ! That’s why we decided in 1997 to blend many different tiny plots in one cuvée, La Lune. The other bigger plots were kept separated : Les Fouchardes, Les Vieilles Vignes des Blanderies or Coteau du Houet. The name La Lune was chosen by our former worker, Stéphane Bernaudeau (who has since joined the little world of exceptional wine growers), because of the crescent shape of the ranks : they look like the moon! We quickly discovered soon La Lune, compared to the other wines, could be an “immediate drinking” cuvée, not very much affected by the bottling. Of course it could also be kept 30 years and more, like the single-vineyard cuvées. Minerality is maybe just a little less defined - probably because of the soil diversity. However, we consider it a benchmark for the region, showing the taste of the area without overthinking the individuality of all the different plots."  - Mark & Martial Angeli, Bruno Ciofi.

Baudry 2020 Chinon La Croix Boissée Blanc

(This wine is in our warehouse and should arrive Feb 9th) This rare and beautiful Chenin Blanc is from the top of the "Croix Boissée" parcel on eroded limestone. The wine ferments very slowly in 500 liter toneaux until dry - less than 2 g/l residual sugar.  "Croix Boissée Blanc 2020 : Classical expression of Chinon Blanc with less alcohol than 2019 and nice acidity at the end. No residual sugar. Malo done as usual. La Croix Boissée Blanc 2020 shows like many vintages those nice notes of anise or fennel with a hint of white apricots. The wine is not big but still salty/mineral. It makes you salivate and calls you for another glass." - Matthieu Baudry  This has become one of the finest Chenins of the Loire with beautiful expression of the limestone soil in this lighter vintage.  Very limited quantity available.

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 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