Clau de Nell Anjou Chenin Blanc 2021

In the mid 2000s, the late, great Anne-Claude Leflaive (of Puligny-Montrachet fame) and her husband Christian Jacques decided to support a handful of up-and-coming producers around France with their exports. The renowned Sylvain Pataille was one of the beneficiaries - along with a tiny estate in Anjou called Clau de Nell. They offered to support the owners for a year… but at the end of it, they decided to walk away. So Leflaive bought it. At the time the estate was all reds. But as a legendary name in Burgundy, it was only natural that they’d want to produce a white wine too. So they planted Chenin Blanc in 2012. The vineyard is a dream for Chenin - a small hill of clay, flint and tuffeau limestone, with a cooling Atlantic influence keeping everything fresh and balanced. The grapes are hand-picked (twice) in mid-September to get properly golden grapes. The winemaking is then classic top-end Burgundy - direct press, cold settling, short fermentation using indigenous yeasts, and maturation in Domaine Leflaive oak barrels for twelve months. The result is an absolute dream of a white wine - green apple, peach and wet stone on the nose, and a tight, pure and mineral palate, with that really fine oak giving beautiful weight and elegance. This is complex, concentrated Loire Chenin with serious Burgundy finesse. It’s the best of both worlds and when you consider the pedigree, it’s a real win to get access to a wine like this.