I had my first Loire Chenin Blanc and it wowed me. So much that I’ve decided to get a few bottles of Chenin after I have polished off my GV and Riesling. This will still take some time, but I don’t want to forget about Chenin and would like to have already a few domains in mind when I want to pick up this project:
2022 Domaine Filliatreau Saumur Lena Filliatreau
My note:
Pnp from the cellar - my first chenin blanc
Med gold
high intensity nose: tropical fruits and perhaps some licorice and nutmeg. Expected an off dry wine
front to mid palate is very concentrated with sweet extract, the finish offers a slight, contrasting bitterness
I like this a lot, thirst quencher, high qpr, 86-89+ range. Did well at cellar temperature
I’ve scrolled through some of the other CB threads. It seems to me that there are two schools of CB: lean and acidity driven wines versus concentrated and hedonistic ones. I am more interested in the latter ones. I don’t mind off dry either. I’ve paid less than 15 Euro for the bottle that I tasted. My budget is between 10 and 25 Euro. However, I do not mind spending between thirty and forty for something special.
Thanks for your time and looking forward to your recommendations.
Boudignon Anjou is typically quite brisk and acid-driven in style, but it gets some lovely sense of breadth from the judicious use of oak. Ditto for Guiberteau whites.
Huet Demi-Secs are terrific off-dry Chenins as the subtle sweetness keeps them from coming across as lean or austere.
If you have access to South African wines, Laibach Sur Lie Chenin and Villiera Barrel Fermented Chenin are bargains at approx. 15€.
+1 on Huët - they drink early and they will age 50 years. I’ve had 30 year old Huets that are still not at peak. Even their “sec” wines sometimes have perceptible sweetness. In the same camp (maybe slightly less expensive) are Pinon and Chidaine. I’ve had trouble with premox in Chidaine (from the aughts) but if you’re drinking them young you should be fine.
Vigneau-Chevreau cuvee Silex is terrific value - under $20 in the US.
Otto, thanks so much for this. I was hoping you’d post here because I thought your comments on Savennieres in the “Please help me love CB”-thread were very intriguing. The descriptors that you used for Savvennieres (concentrated, muscular, full-bodied, ripe, extracted, …) are exactly what I’m looking for. I was so surprised to sample a dry wine when the nose of the Filliatreau screamed off-dry.
In your budget, I would definitely recommend Champalou. The style has changed slightly since their daughter, Céline, took over, with less honey flavours and more apple and pear, but still a more rounded, softer style than the new Anjous.
You could also look at:
Bernard Baudry - Chinon - Domaine white
Any of the Damien Laureau wines, which are made in the style you are looking for, but if you find some, I would definitely try an Ogereau, just to see if you like the style.
Thanks so much for all the recommendations. I really appreciate this. Just to clarify, I’m not looking for wine that requires additional cellaring. In case I really turn out to like CB, I might shell out on a few bottles that benefit from ageing later.
Well no worries for my recs at least - they don’t really need ageing! I’m more than happy to enjoy young CBs anyway since I prefer the freshness they have.
Thanks again, wrt SA so far Laibach Sur Lie Chenin and Villiera Barrel Fermented Chenin have been mentioned. Are there others that you can recommend that fit my budget and preferred style?
Loire Chenin Blanc has an amazing range of “styles” . Some of these may be spot on with your current “preferred style” of wine. Other appealing styles and even other “wows” may be out there for you. Bon Voyage.
P.S. My wife thought that she hated sweet wines until she tasted her first Coteaux du Layon a couple of decades ago . It also opened her mind and palate to enjoying other sweet wines.
True, I’m aware that CB can offer a lot more and am interested in its versatility. I enjoy a lean, mineral, and austere style for Riesling and Chardonnay (& Aligote), I just never had such a concentrated white wine that was still dry and did not feel flabby at the same time.