2024 Clos Naudin Vouvray Sec, Loire Valley

Clos Naudin is one of the Loire Valley's most revered estates, with the Foreau family crafting benchmark Vouvray since 1923. Today Philippe Foreau continues the family's commitment to traditional winemaking and patient élevage, producing Chenin Blancs that have become legendary for their purity, precision and extraordinary longevity.

The vineyards sit on Vouvray's famous tuffeau limestone and clay soils overlooking the Loire River, where Chenin Blanc has thrived for centuries. The Sec bottling showcases the drier side of the appellation, highlighting the grape's remarkable ability to combine richness and texture with laser like acidity and mineral drive.

The colour is a brilliant pale gold with youthful green highlights. Aromas of quince, pear and preserved lemon emerge alongside notes of white flowers, lanolin and crushed chalk. The palate is beautifully structured, layering citrus and orchard fruits over a powerful mineral backbone that carries through the entire wine. There is wonderful concentration and texture here, balanced by vibrant acidity and a long, saline finish that leaves an impression of precision and freshness.

A superb partner for freshly shucked oysters, grilled John Dory with beurre blanc, roast chicken with tarragon or a creamy mushroom and leek tart. Delicious in its youth but built for the cellar, this classic Vouvray should continue evolving gracefully for fifteen years or more.