Ripping Chenin
Two beautiful Chenins to tee off the new year.
Vin de Table Gilbourg, Benoit Courault
Benoit Courault, or Ben, as Alice Feiring dreamily calls him, makes a mean mackerel as well as some nifty wines. Two wines for the table, one to appeal to white vin man, the other to red vin girl. How easily one falls into these reductive tropes. Benoit took over the 6.5 ha vineyard in 2006, having cut his vinous teeth in Chambolle-Musigny and in Tavel with the one of the archbishops of natural wine, Eric Pfifferling. Farming is organic and the non-interventionist philosophy extends into the winery. The Gilbourg (name of the plot) is pure, but not so simple, Chenin. Sixty year old vines on clay-schist soils, very low yields, long vinification, wild yeast ferment without temperature control and maturation for twelve months in three to five year old barrels, makes for a rich, earthy style of wine with bruised orchard fruit. To say that not much of this is made is an understatement. We drank this over the course of three days and the changing flavours took our palates on an exotic journey. Imagine ripe apples rolled in honey-coated green leaves then add cinnamon and musk and some spiky acidity for definition. The wine moves, sometimes more mellow and textured, sometimes sharper and delineated. Drink it a la Ben with le big Mack or le quarter pounder with young goat’s cheese.
Other tasting notes for this wine
Chenin, 65 old vines on schists, low yields, low sulphur regime and maturation for twelve months in three to five year old barrels. Initially restrained the wine unveils lovely bruised fruits with hint of smoke and warm wood and tart apple acidity to round it off
Tight and savoury on the nose, there’s a firm, minerally, acid backbone behind its rich and concentrated layers of leesy, spicy, quince and dried honey. Lots to savour here. (Sarah Ahmed - The Wine Detective)
Apricot colour, bruised apple and ripe william pears. Note of controlled oxidation and earthiness. Glorious tensile acidity uniting primary and second aromas, creating the wine breadth, depth and linear excitement.
Anjou Blanc, Coteau des Treilles, Pithon-Paille
From a replanted vineyard on incredibly steep slopes and with an unusual Mediterranean microclimate, this Chenin possesses ripe citrus flavours in abundance. You think it is going to be sweet then a gush of pure lemon acidity hits you. Beautiful wine with fantastic energy.
Other tasting notes for this wine
The terroir is truly magnificent with beautiful quality of light and the microclimate is almost Mediterranean in character.
Coteau des Treilles is a top selection, a wine of magnificent concentration that floats like a butterfly across your palate before delivering its jaw-dropping, knockout blow. A mineral nose, but with vibrant, youthful pear fruit in the middle. There is a lovely vinous texture to the palate, showing just a little vanilla from the oak, but it also has great balance. Lots of spicy acidity underneath it. Overall a fresh wine, with the floral purity of a spring meadow, firm minerally undertones overlaid with honey, clove and vanilla.
This wine has had 10 months in mostly 2-5 year-old oak (10% was new), and has also been through malolactic fermentation. This was one of my favourite wines last year. Firm and honeyed fruit now, elegant nose, with a melange of citrus fruit and light cream. The oak has been absorbed well, although visible it does not dominate, being just part of the picture. Nice peach skin and tangerine notes. Quite a reserved, structured finish, more grippy through the middle. Fresh but on a grand scale. Lovely style. (The Wine Doctor)