Domaine François Chidaine Montlouis Brut Nature 2020

Domaine François Chidaine Montlouis Brut Nature is a zero-dosage Chenin Blanc sparkling cropped at around 35 hectolitres per hectare.

Montlouis-sur-Loire faces Vouvray across the river and is planted entirely to Chenin Blanc, on flinty perruches and clay-limestone aubuis soils. François Chidaine farms biodynamically on both banks, and this sparkling comes from old vines hand-harvested at a yield well below what is usual for traditional-method wine anywhere, including Champagne. The fruit is drawn from the perruches sites of Le Volagray and Les Landes and the aubuis sites of Clos Renard and Les Epinais. Chidaine picks for sparkling at roughly 11.5 to 12.5 degrees of potential alcohol, ripe in flavour rather than merely in sugar, so that site character carries through into the finished wine. The base wine ferments spontaneously in old 620-litre barrels. With no dosage added at disgorgement, the wine leans on that low-yield concentration for balance, and the result is vinous and creamy with a long, grippy close.

Drinking well now and good for several years in bottle. Serve at around 8°C with oysters, pork rillettes or tempura vegetables.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.