The sommelier world is full of Chenin Blanc fanatics. But the broader wine-drinking world seems not to have fully embraced this chameleonic white, which continues to vex me: Along with Riesling, Chenin Blanc is crafted in the most fascinating, kaleidoscopic range of expressions, and it continues to offer some of the most mind-bending value in wine.
Today’s Anjou Blanc from Musset-Roullier is one example, and perhaps the best one we’ve ever given. This wine isn’t just a juicy, lip-smacking, bone-dry treat at $25—I could absolutely see this aging for 3-5 years, minimum. I don’t think very many people are going to do that, which is fine, but if you’d like access to an uncommonly serious yet utterly joyful white that’s perfect for Summer, I couldn’t make a stronger “buy” recommendation than “Le Moulin de Châteaupanne.” Laser-focused and juicily ripe at the same time, this wine re-defines what a “dry” white wine can be. Don’t mistake that juiciness and richness for sweetness: What you’re getting here is just more wine—more depth, more character—than you thought possible at this price point. Embrace it. For those of you who are already Chenin Blanc believers, trust me: You don’t want to miss this!
Musset-Roullier began on a bench in a primary school in the village of La Pommeraye. Gilles Musset met Serge Roullier 60 years ago. Both sons of winegrowers, they immediately connected and would grow up to become winegrowers themselves. Serge helmed his father’s estate (Domaine du Pélican) while Gilles founded Domaine du Chaumier with his mother. It’s slipped into a black hole of wine history, but the 1991 frost in France was real and devastating. Gilles and Serge suffered monumental losses in their vineyards, and the idea of working together became clairvoyant. Joining forces was a logical decision, a smartly financial one, but it was also a natural progression from the trenches of deep camaraderie. So, when their parents retired, Gilles and Serge, along with Gilles’ wife, formed Vignoble Musset-Roullier with the mission of making better wines than their parents.
Together they pushed the boundaries of complexity, making more refined, precise wines—uncovering, as they say, “the real gems” of Anjou. Today, farming sustainably and organically, their collection of vines (36 hectares) extends along a fault line of the Armorican Massif. This immense geological series of compact fault lines spreads into Brittany, western Normandy, and loosely connects to the white cliffs of Dover. Thanks to these dips and cracks in the earth’s crust, a horde of soil types emerged in La Pommeraye: green and blue schists; grey and blue limestones; gravels, sands, and shells. Close to the Loire River, the vines also benefit from water’s remarkable ability to absorb and release heat, making colder vintages a little less cold and hotter vintages a little less hot. Chenin from here, from this land that was once an apple orchard, is truly unique, a delicious melding of tangy fruit and deep minerality.
Selected from two older vineyard parcels averaging 30 years of age, the wine is made with natural yeasts, in tank, and without malolactic fermentation to retain every morsel of freshness. From there, the wine is aged on its fine lees until Spring and bottled with a minimal dose of sulfur. Having offered the 2017 vintage of this wine previously, we were excited to see what ’18 would bring, and it did not disappoint: In the glass, it’s a bright yellow-gold with shimmers of green at the rim, with ripe, slightly exotic notes of poached quince, lime skin, pear nectar, acacia flowers, crushed chalk, and wet stones. It is medium-bodied but hinting at medium-plus—very substantial and satisfying on the mid-palate before the trademark Chenin Blanc freshness comes on like a tsunami. After one sip your salivary response will be in high gear and you’ll be craving something to eat: some white-fleshed fish with lots of lemon; some spring vegetables in a citrusy vinaigrette; some brie and apples; or maybe a Thai curry. That’s what an “apéritif” is supposed to do—whet the appetite—and this is one of the most perfect examples I’ve encountered lately. It will not only refresh but spark conversation, so consider stocking up for the Summer ahead. Cheers!
