Since discovering the wines of Hauts Baigneux about five years ago, I have become one of their biggest fans. Their new Le Chenin bottling is a more affordable offering from this talented young team, and it delivers everything I love about world-class Loire Valley Chenin Blanc.
If I were teaching a class on the virtues of dry Chenin Blanc, this is the wine I would lead with. It is pure, energetic, and unmistakably Loire, offering an incredible introduction to one of France's greatest white wine grapes without the price tag that often comes with wines of this quality.
The people behind the wine are just as compelling as the wine itself. Childhood friends Nicolas Grosbois and Philippe Mesnier grew up in the Loire Valley, and when they decided to start their own project, they knew Azay-le-Rideau was where they wanted to do it. This tiny appellation, just south of Vouvray, has produced stunning Chenin Blancs for centuries, but it has only recently started receiving the respect it deserves.
Today, Hauts Baigneux is widely regarded as one of the benchmark producers of the appellation, and these longtime friends do everything they can to let the natural character of Chenin Blanc and the region's limestone-rich soils shine through. The result is a wine flowing with crisp, zesty notes of pear, green apple, citrus zest, and limestone minerality. Transparent, focused, and incredibly refreshing, this is exactly the kind of white wine I always want in my refrigerator.
If you've never experienced great dry Loire Valley Chenin Blanc, this is a wonderful place to start. If you're already a fan of the grape, I think you'll agree this is one of the best values I've come across in quite some time.
Stock up while it's here. I have a feeling this one won't last long.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville
