Francois Chidaine Clos de Baudoin 2024

This dry single-vineyard Chenin Blanc originates from France, within the Vouvray and Montlouis-sur-Loire appellation areas of the Touraine district in the Loire Valley. Domaine François Chidaine, established in 1989 by François Chidaine and his wife Manuela in Montlouis-sur-Loire, is globally recognized as a vanguard of biodynamic viticulture and dry Chenin Blanc winemaking. The historic Clos de Baudoin (or Les Argiles bottling depending on Vin de France labeling designations resulting from regional boundaries) is a legendary site in Vouvray characterized by deep flinty clay soils over tuffeau chalk. Chidaine’s meticulous organic and biodynamic vineyard management fosters exceptional vitality, yielding wines of soaring purity, electric minerality, and vibrant acidity.

Wine Description

In the glass, the 2024 vintage presents a bright, pale straw-gold color with vibrant green highlights. The nose is intense and deeply complex, opening with aromatics of fresh quince, green apple, white peach, and lemon oil, interwoven with signature flinty smoke, wet wool, honeycomb, and crushed chalk mineral notes. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied with an astonishing core of dense fruit texture offset by a laser-sharp beam of crystalline acidity. Crafted from 100% Chenin Blanc harvested from old vines (30 to 90 years old), the fruit is hand-harvested, gently whole-cluster pressed, and fermented using only indigenous yeasts in demi-muids (600-liter oak barrels). Fermentation proceeds naturally until bone-dry, with no malolactic fermentation permitted to preserve the site's natural tension. The wine rests on its fine lees in neutral oak for approximately 11 to 12 months before bottling. The alcohol by volume sits at 13.5%.

Food Pairing

The piercing acidity, rich texture, and intense mineral drive of this classic dry Loire Chenin Blanc make it a versatile table partner for rich seafood, poultry, and goat milk cheeses. It pairs exceptionally well with seared scallops in beurre blanc sauce, pan-roasted pike perch, lobster thermidor, or grilled halibut. It also harmonizes effortlessly with roasted pork tenderloin with apples, roasted guinea fowl, or goat milk cheeses such as Sainte-Maure de Touraine, Valençay, or Crottin de Chavignol.

Vintage Quality

The 2024 growing season in the Loire Valley required intense vigilance due to cool spring dampness and rain, demanding precise biodynamic canopy management. However, favorable late-summer conditions allowed Chenin Blanc to achieve ideal sugar-acid equilibrium while preserving radiant freshness. The 2024 vintage showcases classic Loire freshness, showing lower potential alcohol and higher natural acidity than hotter recent vintages. The wine offers bright energetic fruit and mineral focus on release, with the structural concentration to evolve and gain complex honeyed, lanolin, and smoky nuances over 10 to 18+ years of cellaring.