Domaine François Chidaine Montlouis Les Bournais 2021

Domaine François Chidaine Montlouis Les Bournais sits on a pocket of limestone that has more in common with Vouvray’s Première Côte than with the rest of Montlouis.

Most of Montlouis-sur-Loire is planted on clay and flint, but Les Bournais is a four-hectare vineyard on a limestone plateau above the river, on clay over the Bournais limestone that gives it its name. Planted in 1998, the vines follow the contours of the land right to the edge of a chalky precipice, and the roots have only about thirty-five centimetres of clay to work through before reaching bedrock, which is likely one reason these wines always show a distinctive smokiness. Tasted alongside Clos du Breuil and Les Choisilles, this is the more Vouvray-like of the three, with a powdery, chalky structure that reflects the soil. Chidaine now raises the wine in a single 1,000-litre untoasted oval cask made specifically for it, so the fruit is unmarked by toast.

Rewards five years or more in the cellar and will keep well beyond that. Serve at 10-12°C with roast pork, scallops or a mature comté.

*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.