Sunshine Savennières

It is only March, and not so long since we were bolstering ourselves against the bitter chill of winter — yet it takes just a few days of clear blue skies and the mercury nudging eighteen degrees to have us dreaming again of sultry spring/summer days, grilled fish still fragrant from the coals, herb-jewelled salads, all accompanied to perfection by a glass of beautifully crisp white wine. It is, unquestionably, a time of year where one grape varietal comes into its own: Loire Chenin Blanc.

Of all Chenin’s expressions, none makes the case more compellingly than Savennières, where volcanic soils and a cool continental climate produce dry Chenin of remarkable freshness, intensity and precision.

And when it comes to world-class Savennières, few domaines offer a more consistently formidable benchmark than Château d’Epiré. Made with minimum intervention and drawn from some of the appellation’s finest parcels, the wines of Château d’Epiré embody the essence of great Loire Chenin Blanc at seemingly impossibly reasonable price points. Taut, stony and mineral, with generously fresh fruit, a whisper of oak and exhilaratingly bright acidity, these are wines that refresh and intrigue in equal measure and are tailor-made for the (hopefully) balmy spring and summer days ahead.

Enjoy a six bottle mixed case of Château d’Epiré’s exceptional ‘le Parc, Le Hu Boyau and La Croix Picot’ cuvées at 10% off the retail price.

2018 Savennières ‘Le Parc’
The entry point to Château d’Epiré’s range and a great introduction to the appellation. Le Parc is a 4ha plot of sandstone and shale with a south-east aspect, surrounding the Domaine itself. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and aged on the lees for 9 months. At seven years of age, the 2018 Le Parc is drinking beautifully – bright, mineral and precise, with green apple, quince, floral apple blossom and a stony freshness that makes it an effortlessly versatile food wine.

2019 Savennières ‘La Croix Picot’
The ‘La Croix Picot’ Comprises old vines from several different plots of south-facing sandstone and schist. The intensity and rich profile of the old vines lend themselves to ageing in oak barrels for 9 months following initial fermentation in stainless steel, giving ‘La Croix Picot’ a more structured, textured character than the ‘Le Parc’, but no less fresh and vibrant. The 2019 vintage strikes a wonderful balance between the terroir’s inherent mineral intensity and the gentle richness imparted by the oak, showing flavours of orchard fruit, honeyed citrus and a supple, rounded and persistent finish.

2018 Savennières ‘Le Hu Boyau’
The most distinctive and complex of the three, ‘Le Hu Boyau’ comes from a south-facing plot, 40 meters above the River Loire, directly above the much-celebrated ‘Coulée de Serrant’. The mineral-rich, volcanic, phtanite soils here accumulate heat during the day, radiating it back to the vines a night, providing for, not only accelerated ripeness in the grapes, but also a smoky, flint-like complexity to the wines. Fermentation in stainless steel and 9 months ageing in acacia barrels gives the wine a full-bodied and rich aspect, with flavours of ripe pear, apple tart, bees pollen, confit citrus and mineral depth, all underpinned by the typically Savennières taut and zesty acidity.