2021 Francois Chidaine Touraine Sauvignon Blanc, Loire Valley

Organic. François Chidaine is revered for his pristine Chenin Blancs from Montlouis and Vouvray. For a fraction of the price of those wines, here is a touch of Chidaine magic in a Sauvignon cropped from vines in Chissay-en-Touraine and Saint-Julien-de-Chédon, less than 10km from Montlouis. The viticulture here is strictly organic and biodynamic and the fruit was naturally fermented with a high degree of solids before maturation on lees until bottling.
 
As always with Chidaine, you get terroir first and varietal second—we think you would be hard-pressed to pick this as a Sauvignon if offered the wine blind. It’s a pure, delicious, layered and pulpy Sauvignon, with the fruit clearly picked fully ripe. This brings stone fruits and gentle spice rather than any of the stereotypical characters we often associate with the variety. The depth of flavour is impressive, as is the bright, driven finish. A bargain.