Sarah Ahmed – The Wine Detective

Hot on the heels of my 2004 Chenin Blanc study project, I wrote a feature for Wine International magazine (now defunct) about matching sweeter styles of Loire Chenin and food.  I visited a well known temple of gastronomy whose proprietor French, but not from the Loire, admitted that Loire Chenins are perhaps the finest match for foie gras because of their balancing freshness.  Bas oui!  And for me Loire Chenins deserve to be better known, including overlooked appellations like Coteaux de L’Aubance.

In style, it’s generally lighter than the Layon, but as you’ll see from my notes, yields as low as 10hl/ha, even 6hl/ha make for some impressively concentrated wines that maintain a fine balance.  Find out more on my Loire Regional Report page here.