Domaine François Chidaine : Les Choisilles 2023

Characteristics and tasting notes of the Montlouis-sur-Loire 2023 Domaine François Chidaine

Tasting

Colour
The colour reveals a pale gold hue, clear and bright, with subtle green highlights.

Nose
Highly expressive, the nose combines aromas of white fruit and citrus, such as white peach and green apple, with floral notes of acacia. A delicate mineral thread, evoking gunflint and chalk, adds complexity to the bouquet as it opens up with aeration.

Palate
The attack is broad and generous, carried by a lovely fruit-driven texture. The palate then reveals a crystalline tension and a refreshing liveliness, typical of its terroir. The finish, remarkably long, stretches out with a touch of delicate bitterness that underlines the overall balance.

Food and wine pairing

This white wine pairs beautifully with delicate white fish such as roasted cod or sea bass, as well as with fine shellfish like lobster or scallops. It also goes wonderfully with seafood, light white meats, or fresh goat's cheese.

Service and storage

For an optimal tasting experience of the Montlouis-sur-Loire 2023, it is recommended to serve it at a temperature between 11 and 12°C. Allowing it to breathe for an hour before serving, or decanting it, helps release its full aromatic complexity. This wine can be enjoyed now or cellared until around 2038.

Other characteristics

This dry white wine stands out for the complete absence of fining and filtration during clarification, an approach that preserves its aromatic integrity and natural minerality.

The mineral purity and tension of a white wine from Montlouis-sur-Loire

The estate

Founded in 1989 on an initial plot of four hectares, Domaine François Chidaine is a leading name in the Loire Valley. Now overseeing a 45-hectare vineyard, François Chidaine and his wife Manuela run the estate with a philosophy deeply rooted in environmental respect. A pioneer, the estate has been certified organic since 1992 and biodynamic since 1999. It stands out for its innovative approach, which includes regenerative agriculture, eco-grazing, and an ongoing commitment to preserving the natural ecosystem of its terroirs.

The vineyard

Located at the confluence of the Loire and Cher rivers, the Montlouis-sur-Loire vineyard rests on a subsoil of tuffeau, a soft white chalk typical of the region. On the surface, the soils consist of flint clay, containing notably "choisilles," small black siliceous fragments that give the grapes a distinctive minerality. The vines, some of which are eighty years old, are cultivated without any chemical pesticides, encouraging natural groundcover and biodiversity.

The vintage

After several years marked by climatic challenges and episodes of late frost, 2023 stood out for its particularly favorable weather conditions. This stability brought true serenity to the growing cycle, allowing the berries to reach a gradual and optimal ripeness without major disruption.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for the Montlouis-sur-Loire 2023 are harvested by hand, with rigorous sorting in the vineyard. Whole bunches are transported in small crates before undergoing a very slow pneumatic pressing. Alcoholic fermentation takes place using indigenous yeasts in 620-liter oak demi-muids, without seeking malolactic fermentation, in order to preserve the juice's natural freshness. The wine is then aged on full lees in the same vessels for six to eight months.

Grape variety

Chenin Blanc (100%). An emblematic grape variety of the Loire Valley, Chenin Blanc, also known as Pineau de la Loire, expresses itself here with great purity, drawing from the tuffeau soils its characteristic tension and minerality.