Sebastien Brunet is one of the new movers and shakers of the Loire Valley, and his 2023 Arpent Vouvray Sec is a masterful rendition of Loire Valley Chenin Blanc.
"Sec" is French for dry, so this is not at all sweet. It's delicious!
Since 2007, third-generation grower and vigneron Sebastien Brunet, along with the help of his wife Geraldine, have steered the ship at his family's domaine. They might look like humble farmers and winemakers, but they are ambitious. Since taking over in 2006, the couple have gained organic certification, and they set up their cellar in a former 16th-century troglodyte mushroom farm.
Sebastien and Geraldine, testing out barrel samples of Chenin Blanc.
We have quite a few Loire Valley Chenin lovers among our merry group of wine aficionados, myself included. It's wines like this that have swayed us in that direction! Vouvray is the "spiritual birthplace" of Chenin Blanc, much like Sancerre is to Sauvignon Blanc. The grape thrives in the clay and flint-rich soils of the region, and the Brunets make a totally textbook example.
There's such a wonderful "yin and yang" personality to this wine, and it's these contrasting qualities that give it such amazing balance and harmony. Ripe and fleshy yet racy and precise, this one shows gorgeous aromas and flavors of golden apple, peach, white flowers, and dried honey, but there's also a lovely undercurrent of zippy citrus zest and earthy minerality.
You could drop a lot more than $25 on a bottle Vouvray from a more well-known producer, but I think you'd find Brunet's version to be just as good or better. It has all of the classic qualities I look for in dry Vouvray, and it is a stellar value as well.
Josh Spurling
Owner/Operator/Wine Lover
Table Wine Asheville
