2023 Thomas Batardiere Chenin Blanc ‘Grand Clos’, Loire, France

A new parcel from Thomas & Marie-Lise at Batardire young Chenin, planted in 2020, just east of the village of Rablay. Its the last plot on the hillside where Esprit Libre grows, but the soils here tell a different story: a break in the slope, more heavily eroded schist, giving the wine a distinct shape and feel.

As is their way, Batardire vinifies each parcel separately, zeroing in on the nuance of site and soil. 2022 was the debut harvest for this new plot, and they chose to release it only in magnum a nod to the small scale and special nature of the fruit. Just a few made it stateside, and we were lucky to get a piece.

The vintage? Drought and heat defined Anjou in 22, not unlike 18 or 20, so the wine leans toward earlier drinking but, true to form, Thomas & Marie-Lise fine-tuned their harvest and cellar work to hold onto freshness. As always: no sulfur, unfined, unfiltered. A new expression, and a beautiful one.