Domaine François Chidaine : Les Choisilles 2022

Weighty and serious, with quinine bitterness and mineral density the foundation for quince, tangerine and earthy lilac. Turns stern and chiseled on the racy palate, with lime oil, pickled ginger and cardamom chiming in. White grapefruit–laced acidity and tannins drive the finish, which is concentrated, straight-laced and long. Drink now through 2032. 2,500 cases made, 110 cases imported.

The wine has a golden colour and a citrusy nose with perfumed lemon sherbet. The palate is rich and round, only just dry with 3 g/L residual sugar and an almost pineapple-like sweetness to the bright fruit. Clean and crisp, with delicious freshness and chalky minerality. Wonderful balance and elegance, with the lightness of texture that Chenin achieves in Montlouis. The finish is savoury and saline. Highly drinkable. The wine undergoes a long fermentation in 600 L old oak before resting on the lees in the same vessels for around six more months.