2013 François Chidaine Touraine Sauvignon Blanc (France)

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$15 (retail) Wine Club pricing reflected in receipt

It’s not often that we offer French wines at Carpe Vino—other than Champagnes—but this month we have a unique and affordable sauvignon blanc from the Loire Valley.  Information below is edited from text provided to us by our importer.

“François Chidaine is one of the Loire Valley’s great success stories. After finishing viticulture school in the mid-1980s, François went to work alongside his father, Yves, who had only four hectares of rented vineyard land in the appellation of Montlouis, in the Touraine. When Yves retired in 1989, he passed the torch to François.

“While François is a darling of the organic and biodynamic movements, he is by no means interested in indicating as much on the labels. Instead, he focuses on keeping his 40- to 80-year-old vines healthy and yields low. He follows the almanac developed by biodynamic legend, Maria Thun, which looks at both the solar and lunar calendars to establish the best timing for specific vine treatments. He and his team harvest the entire crop by hand.”

“The grapes are pressed gently and vinified on wild yeasts in both barrels and demi-muids (a large barrel with a capacity of 159 gallons). François seeks slow alcoholic fermentations that last all winter long, and avoids malolactic fermentations when possible. The cold limestone cellars allow the wines to develop more layers of complexity, which are simply unattainable when the process is rushed.”

Winery Tasting Notes:  “Classique-styled Loire valley sauvignon from the master of Montlouis and Vouvray. Produced entirely from Chidaine’s biodynamically farmed vineyards.  Minerals and citrus are packed into this beauty that shows surprising length and complexity for the appellation. This is a great lower-priced alternative to the popular sauvignons produced in the eastern Loire valley.”

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