2023 Chateau de Chamboureau Champ de la Hutte Savennieres, Loire Valley

This excellent introduction to the wines of Savennieres has delicate wildflower aromas and hints of floral honey and fresh nuts on the sleek, barely medium-bodied palate. I love the brightness of the mineral acidity that drives the long, super-clean finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

92 points jamessuckling.com

From the steep, schist laced slopes of Savennières, this Chenin Blanc is a study in tension, texture and quiet power. Château de Chamboureau farms old vines overlooking the Loire, where poor soils and exposure to Atlantic influence produce wines of natural concentration and fierce mineral backbone. Champ de la Hutte is one of the domaine’s most expressive parcels, known for delivering Chenin with both breadth and razor sharp structure. The style is unapologetically dry and terroir driven, built less around fruit sweetness and more around stone, salt and longevity.

Winemaking here is patient and traditional, allowing fermentation and élevage to shape texture without softening the vineyard’s edge. The goal is clarity rather than polish, preserving the grape’s natural phenolic grip and the site’s smoky, stony signature. This is Savennières in its classic form, a white that evolves slowly and rewards attention.

In the glass it shows pale gold with green flashes. Aromas are layered and restrained, opening with quince, pear and preserved lemon, followed by chamomile, beeswax, crushed rock and a faint smoky note. There is a herbal, savoury complexity that hints at dried hay and wild flowers.

The palate is medium to full bodied and tightly wound, with orchard fruit wrapped in firm acidity and a chalky, almost tactile mineral texture. Flavours move from citrus peel and apple skin into honeyed and nutty tones, finishing dry, saline and persistent. A gentle bitterness adds grip and length, making the wine feel architectural and food focused.

This is a white built for serious eating. Think roast chicken, pork, shellfish, river fish in butter, creamy sauces, aged cheeses and dishes that need acidity and structure to cut richness. While compelling now with air or a short decant, it will cellar effortlessly for fifteen to twenty years, developing deeper beeswax, toasted nut and savoury complexity while retaining its spine.

Champ de la Hutte is not about easy charm. It is about depth, mineral tension and the long arc of ageing, a true expression of Savennières’ austere beauty.