Les Charmes blanc AOC 2021

A Chenin Blanc that brings together ripeness and coolness: the nose is mature and autumnal, while the structure remains taut and upright. Vinified dry, 13.5% vol.

Les Charmes is a vineyard on the hillsides of Anché, the neighbouring village of Sazilly, on the left bank of the Vienne. Its clay-limestone terroir is quite unusual for Chenin Blanc. Charles Joguet took over the family estate in Chinon in 1957 and has since vinified every plot separately. The domaine now farms 35 hectares, 5 of them planted to Chenin Blanc, and has been organic-certified since 2016. Cellar master Kevin Fontaine, born in Saumur, joined the estate in 2006.

Chenin Blanc yielding an average of 35 hl/ha or less. Harvesting takes place in several successive passes depending on the ripeness of the grapes. After pneumatic pressing, the wine ferments in 225-litre barrels, a third of them new, two-thirds a year or more old. Fermentation proceeds very slowly in the cool of a cold cellar, at a maximum of 5 to 13 °C, allowing the aromas and structure to express themselves more clearly. Regular stirring nourishes the wine on its fine lees. After three months of fermentation and four to six months of ageing, it is blended in stainless steel tanks.

Despite the ripe nose, the wine stays cool and lean, retaining a warm core of ripe stone fruit. This is joined by caramelised sugar and a note of stone, carried by lively acidity. The finish is piquant and bitter, with hints of grapefruit zest.

The estate's cellars extend across a full hectare of hand-hewn tuffeau caves, where the temperature varies by less than half a degree over the course of the year. Kevin Fontaine sums up his aim like this: the wines should show their terroir, not their winemaker.