Tasting Notes
Organic. Reship. A lip-smacking, crystalline Chenin from the southern soils of the Limoux region (more famous for its sparkling wines), made in the spirit of Montlouis. Chenin d'Ailleurs means ‘Chenin from another place’. If you haven’t heard how the story started, in 2016 Chidaine lost most of his Loire Valley fruit to frost. His friends and seasoned winegrowers, the Fort family, offered up part of their harvest to François to make his own wine. In the hands of a Chenin master, this fruit continues to produce a white worth every one of those many kilometres regularly driven by François Chidaine up and down the long L’Occitane highway.
This a juicer and more playful style than this grower’s northern Chenin, yet it remains classically minimalist, detailed and pure. It has ripe citrus, golden delicious and creamed honey notes, a flowing and nicely textured palate, and a twist of earthy complexity to the juicy finish. The note below gives you a fair clue to the value on offer. - Importer Note
François Chidaine is one of the France's most exciting white wine makers. Great vineyards managed biodynamically, ultra low yields and 'hands off' élevage are the order of the day here. It gives you an idea of Chidaine's standing in the Loire that when Benjamin Dagueneau wanted to gain experience as a younger man, he went to work with Chidaine. As a collective, his wines offer a remarkably pure and vivid expression of their respective terroirs.
In terms of the regions, Montlouis is Vouvray's little brother, sitting directly across the Loire river in France's North. The analogy of siblings is a good one as the rivalry between these two regions is intense. However, as Montlouis is much smaller in size, 400 hectares as opposed to 1800 for Vouvray, and as most of the wine is consumed in France, Montlouis is less well known. - Importer Note.
| Product Type | Wine White Chenin Blanc |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | France |
| Region | Languedoc |
| Sub Region | Limoux |
| Winemaking Practices | Minimal Intervention |
| Vineyard Practices | Organic/Biodynamic |