Chinon Blanc Chante le Vent

White Chinon is about as rare as it gets. With only 2% of the AOC planted to Chenin Blanc, it is made by only a handful of estates, and only a small amount is allocated to the United States. Jerome Billard’s version resembles a top-flight Montlouis with beautiful freshness and mineral complexity. A waxy, floral masterpiece from 50-year-old vines grown on tuffeau soils then harvested by hand, pressed, and fermented by indigenous yeast in tank. As of the 2017 vintage, this cuvée goes by the name Chante le Vent – in recognition of the alternately warm and cooling winds that allow Jerôme to harvest his Chenin late in the season without any botrytis. You might know earlier iterations as just Chinon Blanc or La Grande Ourse, but they are all the same Chinon Blanc that you’ve come to love despite the name changes.