2014 François Chidaine Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Choisilles- France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Montlouis-sur-Loire (3/11/2020)
Pop and pour and it is singing. Light golden with seductive nose of flint and wax with citrus blossoms. Palate has the weight and body of chardonnay. Very nicely balanced with a precise acid cut. This has only been open a few minutes. I will let it rest in the decanter and try through the evening. A winner.
I was apprehensive that this would be premoxed as I have heard so much discussion on p’oxed Huets and Chidaines lately. I am super sensitive to oxidized whites and I can easily pick them up on the first whiff and totally intolerant of them on the palate. What a joy to taste a proper version. Maybe I’m lucky or got a good batch. I hope my other ones are this good.
I had to dump a Defaix Chablis Bougros 10 last night because of light-moderate premox, but my whole case tasted about the same so maybe there was a shipping heat problem on the way over to me back when it was released.
Glad to hear that. Almost all of my '14 Chidaines were bad and Choisilles was one of the worst of the bunch. I guess sometimes you get lucky. I sat the next couple of years out because of the issues but am now giving some '17s and '18s a spin. I haven’t had the same issue with '15 so hoping the issue is more limited to '14. If my new ones oxidize after only a couple of years like the '14s did, then I’m probably done with Chidaine.
Chidaine for a year or two became one of my go-to wines, great value and quality. Then I had several very early premoxed bottles (I think vintages in the 2013-15 range), and now it’s pretty much off my list entirely. I just can’t really abide that, when there are so many other options out in the wine world.
I too have had my issues with 14 Chidaine… So last month I opened my last one, the Les Bournais Franc de Pied. It want really like other Chenins, but hot damn was it good. A slight bit oxidized but tons of character and depth. Our dinner group loved it. Bought a decent amount of 15s and will start into those next.