Les Charmes blanc AOC 2022

A dry white Chinon that combines freshness with tension. In the glass, pale, clear yellow; on the nose, a fragrant, brightly aromatic profile, paired with a silky texture and lively acidity. The 14.0% vol. lends substance without ever letting the wine become broad.

Les Charmes is a vineyard on the heights of Anché, the neighbouring commune of Sazilly, on the left bank of the Vienne. The clay-and-limestone terroir is quite unusual for Chenin Blanc. The average yield is 35 hl/ha or less. The 2022 vintage brought ideal conditions.

Chenin Blanc, picked in several successive sortings according to the ripeness of the grapes. After pneumatic pressing, the wine ferments in 225-litre barrels, one third new, two thirds one vintage or older. Fermentation proceeds very slowly over three months in the cool of a cold cellar at a maximum of 5 to 13 °C, which lends greater clarity to the Chenin's aromatics and structure. Regular lees stirring nourishes the wine on its fine lees, and after four to six months of ageing the blend is assembled in stainless steel tank.

Juicy and fresh, taut and piquant, with a silky texture. Notes of chalk and rock dust, pepper, once again pear and almond, a touch of wax and caramel, which remain purely aromatic: this wine does not finish sweet. The acidity stays lively, the finish long, the ageing potential spans many years.

Of Domaine Charles Joguet's 35 hectares, 30 are planted with Cabernet Franc and only 5 with Chenin Blanc, so a white Chinon remains the exception here. Charles Joguet took over the estate in 1957 and vinified the plots separately rather than blending the grapes, a practice considered revolutionary within the appellation. The entire estate has been certified organic since 2016; cellar master Kevin Fontaine continues this work.