2016 Marc Bredif Vouvray Museum Release, Loire Valley

2016 Marc Brédif Vouvray Museum Release is a beautiful reminder of just how quietly brilliant Vouvray can be when patience is part of the plan. The Brédif cellars sit deep beneath the town of Vouvray in ancient tuffeau limestone caves carved along the Loire, a naturally cool and humid environment that has been used for ageing wines for centuries. This museum release has been held back in those caves until the winery felt it was singing, not just ready.

The history here runs deep. Maison Marc Brédif was founded in 1893 and has long been one of the great custodians of Chenin Blanc in the Loire. Since 1980 the estate has been part of the Baron Patrick de Ladoucette family, who continued the tradition of long ageing and meticulous cellar work. Vouvray is all about Chenin Blanc’s ability to balance ripeness, acidity and time, and few houses understand that better than Brédif.

The 2016 vintage brings wonderful harmony. The wine opens with baked apple, pear and quince, layered with honey, chamomile and a gentle lanolin note that speaks of early maturity. Underneath is that classic Vouvray chalky grip from the tuffeau soils, giving shape and quiet power. Any residual sweetness is beautifully integrated, with acidity providing a line of freshness that keeps everything precise and poised rather than rich.

At the table this is incredibly flexible. It works beautifully with roast chicken, pork with apple or fennel, or richer seafood dishes like scallops or lobster with butter. It is also a dream with aged Comté or hard sheep’s milk cheeses. Despite its maturity, this still has plenty in reserve and will continue to evolve for another decade, gaining more savoury, nutty complexity while holding onto its core of fruit and mineral drive.