Domaine Chidane Vouvray "Les Argiles" 2006

Pineapple, white currant, grapefruit, lilac, and anise aromas lead to a luscious mouthful of melon liqueur, pineapple, grapefruit, honey, licorice and lilacs. Glossy in texture and exhibiting faintly bitter herbal accents that pair well with cooked cheese dishes.

Manuéla and François Chidaine farm Chenin Blanc in both the Montlouis and Vouvray AOCs. These two winegrowing zones face each other from opposite sides of the Loire River. Vouvray to the north takes more critical acclaim, but Montlouis vines, in the right hands, produce wines with as much depth and vibrancy.

Their wine is certified as organic, but they don't label bottles as such, wanting the wine within to speak for itself. They place much emphasis on sustainable farming, and the belief that better vineyards make better wine. Their soil is rich in calcerous material, a characteristic reflected in the white wines Chidaine produces.

Chenin Blanc has plenty of natural acidity which helps make its wines very long-lived, similar to Riesling, a varietal which is probably the longest lived of all white grapes. Stylistically a variety of wines are made from Chenin Blanc, from very sweet to very dry, both still and sparkling. As described above, the flavor, depth and quality of the wines varies greatly, depending on where and how the grapes were grown.

Parker description of 2005 Argiles

"Lusciously juicy and almost dry, Chidaine’s 2005 Vouvray Les Argiles displays a vibrancy born of high, ripe acids, such as are promoted by the water-retentive clay for which this cuvee is named. Pineapple, white currant, grapefruit, lilac, and anise aromas lead to a luscious mouthful of melon liqueur, pineapple, grapefruit, honey, licorice and lilacs. Glossy in texture and exhibiting faintly bitter herbal accents that provide a welcome counterpoint to the wine’s sheer ripe fruitiness, it finishes expansive and long, with a billowing character, persistent, flattering florality, and no heaviness or heat."

92 points