Marchesseau Chinon Blanc

If you've ever had a wine from Chinon, in France's Loire Valley, it's likely that it was a red wine made predominantly from Cabernet Franc. White wines, which make up a miniscule 3% of the region's production, are often solely for local consumption and are rarely exported. Needless to say, when we were offered the opportunity to feature this rare, barrel-fermented Chenin Blanc from an acclaimed family-owned estate, we couldn't pass it up!

Brothers Bertrand and Vincent Marchesseau took over their family's winery in 2001, and with it, a small 5-hectare parcel in Chinon planted to the region's sole permitted white variety: Chenin Blanc. Lovers of this grape often praise its versatility, as it can make wines that range in style from sparkling, to dry still wines, to lusciously sweet examples. This bottling from Marchesseau is harvested by hand before being vinified and aged for 7 months in French oak barrels. It's dry, full-bodied and complex, and can be enjoyed over the next 3-4 years at about 12 C.