2020 Chateau de La Roche en Loire Cuvee Colette Chenin, Loire Valley

Bruised apple, marzipan, nutty and minty, slippery peach, saline and savoury. It’s a glossy and nutty ride of flavour, a little warm, quite umami with a seaweed and mushroom flavour, samphire, lemon zest and salted peach, some chalky chew, with a bold finish of good length. So salty and mineral. Bold Chenin. Curious, but good. Drink 2023 - 2026.

93 points Gary Walsh winefront.com.au

Château de La Roche en Loire Cuvée Colette Chenin is a soulful and quietly captivating white wine from the heart of the Loire Valley. Made entirely from organically farmed Chenin Blanc grown on limestone-rich soils in the Touraine appellation, this cuvée brings texture, freshness, and a beautifully restrained sense of place.

Named in honour of winemaker Jean-François Mérieau’s grandmother, Cuvée Colette is a tribute to the quiet strength and timeless elegance of the old Loire traditions. The vineyards, perched above the river on rocky tuffeau and clay, are managed with great care—no synthetic chemicals, low yields, and a strong belief in letting the vineyard do the talking.

The winemaking is as hands-off as it gets. Grapes are harvested by hand, slowly pressed, and fermented with wild yeasts in older oak barrels. The wine spends time on lees, gaining creamy texture and complexity without losing its signature energy and mineral edge. There's no fining, filtration is minimal, and sulphur is used sparingly.

In the glass, Cuvée Colette opens with aromas of white pear, quince, chamomile, and crushed stone. The palate is dry and layered with lemon oil, green apple, subtle spice, and that unmistakable Loire Valley chalkiness. It’s both clean and textural, with a long, gently saline finish that speaks of riverbed soils and cool nights.

This is Chenin Blanc with integrity and nuance—perfect with goat’s cheese, roast chicken, or anything involving beurre blanc.