This arrestingly fresh and vivid non-dosé cuvée is produced from 100% Chenin Blanc from a range of Chidaine's biodynamically farmed sites in Montlouis. These include the flinty 'les perruches' sites of Le Volagray and Les Landes as well as the more clay and limestone-rich 'aubuis' sites of Clos Renard and Les Epinais. Chidaine picks his grapes for sparkling wine at about 11.5 to 12.5 degrees of potential alcohol (i.e., ripe) as he wants his terroir to shine through. Yields here are incredibly low (35 hectoliters per hectare) for sparkling wine and the finished product contains no dosage at all. Vine age ranges from 30 to 90 years old. The initial fermentation takes place in older 600l casks. After a minimum twelve months bottle age before release the resulting wine is dry, though not at all austere, with wonderful creamy Chenin fruit. It is a perfect aperitif and an excellent substitute for a dry white at the table. The Josh Raynolds review below in no way captures the sheer deliciousness of this wine. Forget the grape variety and give this a try, it is simply a cracking value, the equal (or more) of many Champagnes on the market today.
"Vivid gold with an aggressive bead. A complex bouquet of ripe apple, pear and quince, with honey and beeswax nuances. Distinctly chenin blanc in character, offering dried orchard fruit and bitter lemon qualities and a strong mineral undertone. A touch of marzipan adds depth to the dry, stony, precise finish. This will be very flexible with rich fish or poultry dishes." 89 Points, Josh Raynolds, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar May/June 2010