2017 Vouvray Sec - Domaine Champalou

Tart green apple, chamomile tea, squeezed lemon wedge. Lime peel, citrus blossom, underripe nectarine. Ginger root and tarragon, wild honey and raw almond. A relatively quiet and subdued bouquet relents to zingy near enamel-melting fruit on the palate, as assorted citrus, green pear, and tart kiwi emerge with tremendous intensity and precision. Honeysuckle and fresh flowers eventually blossom as the wine warms complementing pretty perfume that is complicated by mouthcoating wool and mild spice. Bone dry and packed with seriously crisp minerality reminiscent of millstones and cold steel; medium minus in body with searingly high acidity and laser-like focus. This 2017 Vouvray Sec by Domaine Champalou is a phenomenal Chenin Blanc from France's Loire Valley.

Chenin Blanc is one of the world's most versatile white wine grapes. It can be made in a plethora of styles ranging from sparkling to sweet and is arguably the source of some of France's most interesting white wines. This bottling, crafted by Domaine Champalou using Chenin Blanc sourced from the region of Vouvray and vinified in a dry style, is an excellent example the complexity and precision this grape is capable of. While highly energetic and quite refreshing in nature this wine is far from a simple summer sipper, and contains contains gorgeous honeyed, floral, and slightly spiced nuance that makes this extremely compelling as well as thoroughly quaffable. There is no sign of the residual sugar here one might expect from Vouvray and instead heaps of acidity and minerality lie waiting in its place. A really wonderful wine that is absolutely worth seeking out.