Chateau de Plaisance "La Grande Piece" Anjou Blanc 2022
(Loire Valley, France) 750mL - [VM 93] [WS 93]

About the winery:
Vanessa Cherruau is a steward of one of the Loire’s great terroirs – Chaume. After finishing wine school in Angers, she worked throughout the wine industry for 12 years before befriending the Rochais family on the Chaume hill, who owned Chateau de Plaisance (more a farmhouse than Chateau) and its 25 ha of vines growing on the schist bedrock of the appellation. With plans to sell the historic estate to the local cooperative, Vanessa convinced the family to sell to her instead, allowing her to continue the fine legacy they left, while forging a new path for Loire greatness. Luckily for Vanessa, she inherited some of the most well-cared for vines on the hill, as Plaisance has been certified organic since 1995 and certified biodynamic since 2008. She of course has continued the biodynamic viticulture started by her predecessors, knowing that taking care of the natural environment of the vines is of utmost importance. Since her first vintage in 2019, she has helped raise the image of dry Chenin made on the Chaume hill to where it is now one of the most interesting terroirs in the Loire.

About the wine:

• Certified biodynamic
• 100% Chenin Blanc
• A single 0.8 ha site on the Chaume hill, facing south
• 50+ year old vines
• Sandstone and puddingstone over schist bedrock
• Indigenous yeast
• Partial malo
• Fermented and aged in older barrel for 12 months

Ratings & Reviews

93 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2022 Anjou Blanc La Grande Piece has a sense of presence and creaminess, but it's held together by mouthwatering acidity, phenolic tension and good bitterness. Rich and ripe, this half amphora/half barrel-fermented wine has notes of flint, salt and even smoky bacon. Its structure needs time to relax. Endowed with a combination of concentration and acidity, this young wine will evolve well." - Rebecca Gibb (July 2024)

93 Points - Wine Spectator:
"Rich, round and delicious, with its firm, well-built structure framing a well of nectarine, chopped apple and warm spices. Honey and salted, toasted brioche notes add plush dimension and are cut by tangy acidity on the defined, juicy finish. Drink now through 2040." - KB (Nov 2024)