2020 Francois Chidaine Clos Habert Montlouis, Loire Valley

From a solar, hot vintage, the 2020 Montlouis-sur-Loire Clos Habert offers up aromas of white fruits, spices, ripe orchard fruits and flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, enveloping and delicately sweet, it's fleshy with good depth at the core and a long, saline and ethereal finish. Vinified and matured in large barrels, it has 13 grams per liter of residual sugar.

94 points, Yohan Castaing The Wine Advocate 

Set on the limestone and clay soils of Montlouis, Clos Habert is one of François Chidaine’s more focused, mineral driven sites, and his biodynamic approach brings a real sense of clarity to the wine. Chidaine has long been a leading voice in the Loire, working Chenin Blanc with precision and patience, allowing both vineyard and vintage to show without excess.

The 2020 vintage strikes a beautiful balance between ripeness and tension. Aromatics open with quince, yellow apple and ripe pear, layered with lemon zest and a gentle floral lift. There is a distinctive Chenin signature here, a touch of honey, beeswax and lanolin, alongside a chalky, stony note that gives the wine shape.

On the palate it is medium bodied with a textured, slightly waxy feel, but driven by a fine line of acidity that keeps everything fresh and energetic. Orchard fruit moves into more savoury territory, with hints of almond, spice and a lightly saline edge, finishing long with a mineral grip that lingers.

Winemaking is handled with a light touch, native ferment, minimal intervention and careful ageing, allowing the vineyard to speak clearly while building depth and structure.

This is a brilliant match for seafood with a bit of character. Think oysters with a squeeze of lemon, scallops with brown butter, or a richer fish dish with saffron and herbs. It also shines with vegetarian dishes like a pumpkin and sage risotto, white beans with rosemary and olive oil, or a roasted cauliflower dish with tahini, where the wine’s texture and acidity really lift the flavours.

Drinking beautifully now, it will continue to evolve over the next ten to fifteen years, developing more honeyed, nutty and savoury complexity while holding its line.