Clos Rougeard is an esteemed, cult producer nestled in the Loire Valley, renowned for its exceptional quality and extremely limited releases, typically around 2500 cases annually. Their wines are primarily sold by allocation to restaurants, with very little distributed outside of France. The estate, which has been in the Foucault family since 1894, was taken over by Bernard and Charly Foucault in 1969. They adhere to a philosophy of minimum intervention, employing extremely low yields, eschewing chemicals, hand-harvesting fruit, utilizing natural yeasts, and practicing no filtering or fining, with gravity bottling. The 2017 vintage, being cooler, resulted in a firmer, more mineral-edged palate structure, a departure from their often more generous style. This Chenin Blanc offers immense depth and uncoiled complexity, revealing aromas of tropical fruit, spiced mangoes, beeswax, burnt feathers, and meringue. It is both minerally and incisive, yet full and broad, with an ample body and a beautiful thread of acidity that attacks and radiates. The finish is long, lightly phenolic, and saline, yet super precise and mouthwatering. Other notes describe smoke, spices, ripe orchard fruits, herbs, ginger, exotic fruits, citrus, pineapple, and a reductive note with a characteristic salty edge. Further descriptors include honey, stone, apple, butter, oak, caramel, lemon, orange, almond, hazelnut, brioche, cream, cheese, banana, honeysuckle, acacia, fennel, mint, white pepper, and various tropical notes. It is praised for its high acidity, well-balanced with a long finish. 🍴 This versatile Loire Chenin Blanc pairs wonderfully with chicken and turkey. It is also an excellent choice for vegetarian dishes, poultry, rich fish like salmon or tuna, and mild to soft cheeses. 🥂 The 2017 Clos Rougeard Brézé Saumur Blanc is already delicious, yet possesses remarkable aging potential, capable of holding very well. It remains incredibly youthful, with decades of life ahead, and is considered a classic Brézé that could age gracefully over the next decade and beyond. It is a very well-made wine, full of energy and particularly good with food. 【Cult producer known for extremely limited, high-quality Chenin Blanc from biodynamically farmed vineyards】.