Domaine François Chidaine Montlouis Les Tuffeaux 2020

Les Tuffeaux is drawn from the later picks across François Chidaine's oldest Chenin plots and is not made in every vintage.

The fruit comes from a range of the domaine's old Montlouis parcels — Clos du Volagray, Saint-Martin and Les Grillonnières among them — all chosen for stony soils heavy in yellow limestone. Vine age runs from 30 to 90 years and yields are always tiny. The grapes are taken on the second, later pass through those plots, so ripeness sits higher than in the straight dry cuvées. Winemaking is as plain as possible: native yeasts, ten months in 600-litre demi-muids, bottling without filtration. Chidaine only makes the wine when the season allows it, which is not every year. It finishes with 13.8 g/L of residual sugar, barely off-dry against the acidity, and the palate is spicy and generous before a dry, powdery, savoury close with Seville marmalade and ginger character.

Drinking now and good for a decade or more. It works on its own, with charcuterie, or alongside South-East Asian dishes, served at around 10°C.

*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.