They didn’t invite you to dinner—they invited you to Sunday afternoon collapse. A bottle surfaces from the ice bucket like a cool whisper: pale gold Chenin Blanc from clay, limestone, chalk and silex soils in Saumur. No frills, no fuss—just precision.
You press your glass to your nose: citrus blossom, hay, a stray pinch of honeycomb. It’s low-intervention, fermented at low temps, and aged on its fine lees for nearly a year—opening up but staying lean.
First sip? A surge of lime zest and steely minerality snaps the haze of the day. Then the lees envelope your tongue: creamy texture meets tension, like a lazy cat suddenly springing to attention. A chalky, saline finish lingers, a reminder that this is Loire terroir in full cry.
By the time the plate shows up—blackened trout tacos with cabbage slaw, goat’s curd-stuffed celery, tangy preserved lemon olives—you’ve already lost track of time. It’s crisp, effortless, and dangerously easy to sip until the next conversation crashes the silence.
Region: Saumur, Loire Valley, France Grapes: Chenin Blanc
