Domaine Belargus - Anjou "Bonnes Blanches" 2021

The Bonnes Blanches is full-bodied, long and expressive, with fine tannins and lingering grip.

Jo Pithon resuscitated this south-facing monopole, Coteau des Treilles, in Rochefort in the late 1990s. This 2.72-hectare plot is “geological chaos” hence abandoned after the war. Located in the heart of the Pont-Barré Natural Reserve, a heaven of biodiversity that has never known chemistry, Jo brought this grand cru back on the map of the Loire's finest vineyards. Now run by Ivan Massonnat they worked to create the very first vintage, the 2018.

The 2020 Bonnes Blanches is a dry and vibrant Chenin Blanc. Offering up masses of concentration, perhaps a result of the nearly 40-year-old vines and the low yields, as well as a powerful schist derived finish. Structure and firmness are the keys to this wine in youth. There are delicate, tangy apple flavors, Sicilian lemons and white flowers marrying with subtle almond pastry-like characters following 13 months on lees in demi-muids. Balanced and settled wine, ready for its life ahead. 92 points - Rebecca Gibb, Vinous. 2020 review.

100% Chenin Blanc.