SIZZLIN' CHENIN 🌩️

What’s up winos,

Big weekend? Me too, but probably for different reasons. Saturday at dan’s was HUGE, I mean HUGE. Apologies again to everyone we had to turn away. Victims of our own success, u know? We were so run off our feet I could barely walk on Sunday (although that could still be residual bone damage from that godforsaken hike. Oh, you thought I was going to stop bringing that up? Hehe). So then I went pretty big on the booze front on Sunday. And thus the cycle begins again. Sigh. Such are the trials of life.

I perked right up, however, when I saw what we had landing today. After a lengthy (too lengthy!) absence, I’m pumped to welcome back the iconic Poïèsis from Clos des Plantes back onto our shelves. This is a proper cult wine, if you know you know, and if you don’t know, now’s the time to get to know. Searing, mind-bending Chenin from a nice little plot in Anjou called Montbenault (IYKYK, again), lovingly tended to by the talented Olivier Lejeune. He trained in New Zealand, with a notable innings at Felton Road, before heading home to the Loire and working alongside Mark Angeli (don’t make me type IYKYK again). He revived the abandoned plot for Poïèsis in 2017, on the kind of black schist soils that a certain Richard Leroy is a fan of. Apparently, Poïèsis means 'bringing something into being that did not exist before' (thank you, Google), and we can all thank our lucky stars that Olivier brought it into being. This wine is cracking, year after year, and this vintage is no different, ‘22 being a pretty decent year over in the Loire. The schist soil brings a ripping minerality to the bottling, which remains elegant and refined while still packing a serious punch, full of ripe stone fruit, beeswax, honeysuckle and pears, finished off by a killer acid line. And that’s just the standard Poïèsis. Poïèsis 24 months was a cuvee created off the back of horrendous frosts in 2019 and so spends some extra time resting in barrel (guess how long?). The results are pretty stunning - rounded, textured and spicy, with notes of juicy pear, quince and vanilla. You better run fast, though. These wines are on a lot of people’s wish lists. Be one of the lucky few. Oh, and don’t sleep on his Whaka Piripiri Mai cuvee either.

Staying on the Chenin train, bang for your buck doesn’t come much better than the wines of Julien Delrieu. Laser-like, acid-led Chenins full of tart, sour apple fruit and spice. He does a lovely Cab Franc/Grolleau blend too, if you’re in a chilled red state of mind. If you like your Chenin with a touch of sweetness, check out Domaine de Belliviere, who are making some seriously intense bottles from their 70 (count em, 70) parcels whenever they can, despite seriously tricky growing conditions - so when they do make them, you need to get them.

Like ur Chenin sparkling? Same, tbh. Don’t think I ever met a sparkly Chenin that I didn’t immediately fall in love with. This bottling from Champalou is a proper bargain, and certified master Chidaine also makes one well worth a look. More of a new world girlie? Try this one from Testalonga, a creamy, luxurious take on the grape.

Alright, that’s more Chenin than even I can drink. So I’ll leave you with this - don’t forget to snap up tickets to our tasting of the eclectic wines of Cantina Giardino, and the second sesh for the Salon de Dan’s this Sunday is almost sold out too, so jump on it while you still can. We’ll have some tickets on the door for those of you who like to live on the edge, but if I were u I wouldn’t leave it up to chance. It’s gonna b huge.

That’s all! Love u!

xoxo

Megan