2014 François Chidaine Vouvray Sec Les Argiles, France, Loire Valley, Wine Review

This wine has a reputation of being a bit oxidized and advanced in 2014. This bottle was a bit advanced but it was also spot on drinking right now. Medium golden in color. The nose has anjou pears along with minerals and a salinty which is very nice. This has a slightly oily texture. The pears continue and if this has any oxidation, it is quite small. There is good acidity. Nice finish. Enjoyed with a Ginger Parsnip Pear soup, this was a perfect match with a nice synergy. It might not make old bones, but it is drinking quite well right now.

Grade:

A-

Score:

Vintage:

2014

2014 François Chidaine Vouvray Sec Les Argiles, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage:

2014

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$25.00USD

This bottle was quite good. There are some reports about the prematurely oxidizing or at least ageing quickly but this was the first time trying this vintage. It is quite a deep golden color but that is not unheard of for Chenin. The nose is very nice with aromas of pears, orange peel, slight copper note and a bit of honey. Full bodied and slightly viscous. Also slightly oily in texture. Lots of great minerality with some background orange and pear. Long finish. This has a slight perception of being sweet but it seems dry. Good acidity. This worked great with some hummus and also

2020 François et Julian Pinon Vouvray Les Trois Argiles, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage:

2020

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$28.00USD

The wines of François Pinon have been some of our favorites for quite some time. His son Julien is now involved with him at the winery. This wine is so named as the grapes (100% Chenin Blanc) come from three separate plots. The wines are fermented with native yeasts in old wooden vats in the naturally cool cellar carved out of a limestone hillside.

2019 François Pinon Vouvray Les Trois Argiles, France, Loire, Wine Review

Vintage:

2019

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$33.00USD

This is Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley in France. The name represents the "Three Clays" or three clay dominant parcels of land. It is not labelled as such but is essentially a Demi-Sec or Half-dry wine. Light golden in color with green hues, clear and bright. The nose is nice with an apple sauce quality. Slight, slight tannins. Good acidity. Medium bodied. On the palate, this is slightly (or perhaps a bit more) sweet. Flavors of apples with a bit of wild herbs and a chalky minerality. Good finish. This is drinking well on its own and will work with some lighter foods. Fried

Vouvray: A Chenin Blanc for the Ages

Among Americans, the Loire Valley is most often associated with gardens and castles and not much else. We journey the 150 kilometers southwest from Paris and take a day or two visiting Chateau de Chambord and Chenonceau, all the while enjoying the delightful flora and thinking of bygone days when princes and noblemen still roamed the cavernous halls in this ancient land. But the French know better. They know what we foreigners are just beginning to discover—that some of the most interesting, delicious, and affordable wines in the world hail from the chalky soil on which those famous castles stand.

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2002 Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec Le Haut-Lieu, France, Loire Valley, Wine Review

Vintage:

2002

Score:

Grade:

This was a sound bottle. Many of the Huet 2002's are subject to premature oxidation. This bottle was excellent. Chenin Blanc, especially with some residual sugar left, can last for decades. Golden in color, clear and bright and slightly deep. On the nose this has orange peel, crushed shells, salinity and a touch of canned peaches. Medium bodied. Slightly sweet on the palate. Complex. Nice minerality layered with a bit of peach and slight honey. Nice acidic backbone. This worked great with a peach cobbler dessert. Good bottles of this can be enjoyed at any point over the next cou

2014 François Chidaine Vouvray Sec Les Argiles, France, Loire Valley, Wine Review

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Vouvray: A Chenin Blanc for the Ages

2002 Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi-Sec Le Haut-Lieu, France, Loire Valley, Wine Review