Lot presentation

Vin de France Pétillant François Chidaine 2019

The wine

The Chenin Blanc vines thrive in soils consisting of very deep clay and white chalk. The subsoil composed of Tuffeau, a soft, white limestone rock, allows the vine roots to easily dig their way through. Once harvested, the Chenin Blanc grapes are transported to the winery to undergo a gentle pressing process. Alcoholic fermentation, which can run for up to six months, then occurs spontaneously in 600 litre demi-muids, triggered by native yeasts naturally present on the berries. Malolactic fermentation is not particularly sought after during the vinification of this cuvée. The second fermentation is performed in the cellar and the bottled wines rest on laths for around 36 months.
The bright colour, with discreet bubbles, reveals a delicate nose full of aromas of white-fleshed fruit and tropical fruit. The freshness and liveliness of the palate delicately mirror the aromas of the nose.

About the Producer François Chidaine

Today, the winemaker François Chidaine is a leading name in Montlouis, having ushered in a new generation of talented wine-makers. In 1984, he began to work as an employee at his family's winemaking estate in Montlouis. In 1989, he set up on his own with 3 hectares of the family estate and 1.5 hectares that he purchased himself. He quickly adopted organic farming practices and began converting his entire domain to this approach in 1992, while continuing to expand (10 hectares in Montlouis in 1998). The following year, his Spanish-born wife Manuéla joined the estate, which was then converted to biodynamic practices.A new page was turned in 2002 with the leasing of vines from Prince Poniatowski's Clos Baudoin estate, which he then purchased in 2006. He was joined by his cousin Nicolas Martin, with whom the Chidaines formed a GAEC (a jointly-run agricultural partnership). Today, the estate spans 50 hectares: 22 in Montlouis-sur-Loire and 10 in Vouvray, where Chenin is the sole grape variety grown. A further 13 hectares in Touraine showcase Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Grolleau, Cabernet Franc, Côt, and Pineau d’Aunis. In total, over 50 plots of vines are elevated to their purest expression by the estate.
François Chidaine is also the chairman of his appellation's trade union. As well as its exemplary use of biodynamics in working its vines, the estate also aims to highlight its various different soil types by producing a number of cuvées based on the specific characteristics of each vineyard. François Chidaine is obsessively rigorous in his approach to vineyard work – a characteristic he shares with Manuéla and Nicolas Martin and their entire team (numbering nearly a dozen full-time employees), whose common goal of excellence has formed them into a very closely-knit unit.François Chidaine also heads up the growers' union for the Montlouis appellation, and (along with Jacky Blot) remains a textbook example of a producer who has inspired a whole new generation of talented young winemakers from the appellation.