2023 Domaine Beatrice & Pascal Lambert Le Chinon d'A Cote Chenin Blanc

“Le Chinon d’À Côté” 2023 proves Chinon’s tuffeau limestone sings just as clearly in white. Béatrice and Pascal Lambert farm three south-facing parcels of 25-year Chenin Blanc on porous chalk, certified biodynamic since 2012. Grapes are hand-picked at daybreak, pressed whole-cluster, and fermented with native yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless to lock in orchard-fresh aromatics. Five months on fine lees add satin depth without dulling the wine’s razor acidity; bottling is unfiltered with a whisper of SO₂. Expect green-pear crunch, Meyer-lemon curd, and acacia flower gliding over a cool, smoky-flint backbone, finishing bone-dry, salty, and mouth-watering. Pour lightly chilled for seafood tonight, or cellar three years to unveil beeswax richness and honeyed spice.

Nose: Lemon blossom, Bartlett pear, and white quince layered with wet chalk and a hint of bee pollen.

Palate: Juicy green apple and citrus zest race across lively acidity, framed by subtle lees cream and flinty smoke.

Finish: Long, mineral close echoes grapefruit pith, fennel seed, and a clean, iodine-saline snap.

Spot-on with seared scallops in brown-butter lemon sauce, goat-cheese crottin drizzled with honey, or herb-roasted chicken over root vegetables—the wine’s brisk fruit and chalky tension brighten every savory bite.