This 91-Point Anjou Chenin Blanc Offers Unreal Value!
While the 600 mile long Loire River Valley is most famous for Sauvignon Blanc, it is the wines made there from Chenin Blanc that really get our blood going.
With a history dating back to the 9th Century, the Anjou district is the historic motherland of Chenin Blanc. Top bottlings of Anjou-Saumur Chenin Blanc from producers like Boudignon and Guiberteau go for $75 or more. The rare Clos Rougeard Anjou Blanc, if you can find a bottle, will set you back nearly $300.
Fortunately for those of us that love the juicy orchard fruit and lip smacking minerality of Chenin Blanc, and prefer it in the form of a smart daily drinker, there’s also Domaine de la Petite Roche. We've loved their Anjou Blanc since discovering it six years ago. Vibrant, pure and mineral-laden, the 2023 vintage is the best we've tasted and, at $15.99, it is an utter steal.
Check it out below along with a charming Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah blend from the Southern Rhône Valley then hit down on the Big Green Button to add some rural French goodness to your life!
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2023 Domaine de la Petite Roche
"La Petite Roche" Anjou Blanc
Loire Valley, France
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Owned by Gwenaëlle Regnard, whose family has grown grapes here since 1791, Domaine de la Petite Roche is located roughly 90 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean, in the heart of Anjou.
Sourced from a two hectare parcel of 30+ year old Chenin Blanc vines, this bone dry white is plump, zesty, chalky, and pithy with a lovely collection of flavors that keep revealing themselves. Yellow apple, grapefruit, orange, bruised pear, macadamia, cheese rind, honey and wild green herbs are all here!
What really makes this wine special, though, is the minerality and the texture. This very clean, youthful, richly textured white is quite possibly the least expensive, most impressive dry, mineral-driven white in our stores.
Decidedly delicious, it is perfect to drink by itself and with a wide variety of dishes, including fish, chicken or a simple spring combination of asparagus and pasta.
A staff and customer favorite for the last five years, this 2023 is the best version yet. Amazingly, despite upward pressure on European prices, we're able to bring it to you today for the same price as the previous vintage.
We found just one online listing, at $22. Our price, as usual, is a whole lot less! This Anjou charmer is drinking great now and will just get better and better throughout the summer. Another one of those crazy values here!
Vin Chicago Price: 15.99
This Blend of Old-Vine Cabernet and Syrah is Quite Delicious!
2022 Mas des Bressades
"Les Vignes de Mon Père" Vin de France Rouge
Southern Rhône Valley, France
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Located just outside the ancient Roman city of Nîmes, Mas de Bressades is owned and operated by Cyril Marès. While most of Cyril's delicious Rhône blends are quite traditional, he also makes this unusual blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Syrah. And, we love it!
Named in honor of his pioneering father, who planted the Cabernet vines used to make this wine over 70 years ago, this delicious, sustainably farmed red combines elements of Bordeaux and the Rhône, accented by Provençal herbs.
Look for cassis, black pepper, coffee, cedar and red earth, and enjoy as they continue on through the long finish. Balanced, distinctive and quite high in quality, it is quite a bit more complex than the modest price would lead you to believe! Fans of the Rhône and fans of Bordeaux, this is one you ought to try!
Vin Chicago Price: 18.99
