Wow, this one totally managed to surprise me with its intensity and concentration. A dead serious dry Chenin but oh so good. Must buy more Chidaine, quick.
2021 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Choisilles - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire (1.6.2025)
Very expressive and distinctive on the nose with a zesty, even lime peel kind of an edge and notes of beeswax, wool, autolysis and minerals. On the palate definitely on the dry side, concentrated - muscular even - and tightly wound with rather high acidity. A real powerhouse of a Chenin that is damn impressive at this very early stage. There is no lack of fruit but it cannot be overstated how stony and minerally a wine this is. Grip and length for days. Excellent.
Yes, I had a few bottles of this earlier in the spring and really loved it as well. Much more so than Chidaine wines from 2022 and 2023, where the extra-ripe vintages made the young wines too heavy. I also wanted to rush out and buy more, but the 2021s are all gone around here. Will make a note of getting an earlier jump on 2024s when they are released.
Well maybe you’ll like them better than I did. Or maybe they gain focus with some age. I bought a bit of 2023 Huet to see if that happens.
But in general, I don’t have endless storage, so I don’t need to gamble that way, as there is so much other wine in the world. And the alcohol percentages on the Chidaine that I had were so high (14% and more) that it seemed unlikely to be worth my investment.
I tend to look at alcohol levels very carefully and of the ones I bought (Choisilles, Argiles, Clos du Breuil) the first two were 13,5% and the Breuil 13%. In comparison this 2021 Choisilles was 13%. By the way the only post-21 Chidaine I’ve had is 2022 Les Argiles and at least there alcohol, ripeness or size were not a problem at all but I guess that is a lighter wine generally in the range. I too have limited storage capacity, currently 600 bottles and room for maybe 100 more, so definitely don’t buy by the case.
Well maybe I mis-remembered and it sounds like you have the evidence! I think Les Bournais is also a bit higher (maybe 13.5%) but your point stands.
I hope they work out. I had 2023 Clos du Breuil and found it very thick and golden raisin Anjou-like in flavor and texture. But, things change and evolve, all part of the learning process.
A 2020 Choisilles here, from the friendly supermarket in the next village. Everything you guys say holds true, but more importantly, Madame likes it and asks for more: is there a better recommendation?
I drank a ton of Chidaine, the Choisille was probably my favorite of the lineup. Stopped buying after experiencing too many premox problems, and prices have also gone up considerably (admittedly the pricing of 10-20 years ago was stupidly low for the quality of the wines).
