Opened with a diner of jerk chicken. The off-dry nature of the wine worked wonderfully with the spicing and heat of the food. In a really good place right now with plenty of quince-like fruit, honey and still zippy acidity.
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Deep gold in glass. Clearly quite aged, tertiary flavors of caramel, aged lemon, sense of riper yellow fruit in core, floral notes, stone. Acid/residual sugar in tension, with sweetness accentuated by caramel-esque flavor, balanced in the end with the acidity. Moderate length but richness of flavors is a bit short, resolving in a more one-dimensional finish of the acid/sweetness balance only.
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Really good. Not really "sweet" in the traditional sense, but there is a touch of sweetness balanced by the acidity. Terrific orchard fruit. Concentration is there. A touch of citrus zest, honey and cream.
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Medium gold color. Youthful, medium intensity nose initially shows some odd putty notes, before evolving nicely in glass to show ripe pear, white flowers, mineral, and raw papaya. Off-dry, with medium(+) acidity balancing out the slight sweetness. Medium body, with flavors similar to the nose, but a deeper tropical fruit note of mango. Medium finish. Still quite young and has plenty of life ahead.
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Rich, expressive aromatics of ripe orchard fruit, honey, orange blossom, and roasted nuts. The palate is powerful and electric, balancing wonderful ripe pear and peach with an undercurrent of wet slate and finishing floral lemon curd acidity. Excellent depth and incredible value. Drink or hold.
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Beautiful bottle. Tropical fruit, pear, and lime, without sacrificing any minerality. I expected sweeter from a few of the reviews here, but I found the sweetness and acid to be very much in balance. Personally, I'm happy with Woodstock-level acidity, and while that's certainly not present here, there is nothing at all flabby about this wine (for a demi-sec). Perhaps not the most complex of Chidaine's wines, but lovely now, will probably stay that way for quite a while.
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Light honey in color, bit of honeysuckle and beeswax on the nose; quite a rich, almost unctuous wine, but it has good balancing acidity, even some minerality and decent complexity. Draw some air in and this explodes with flavor. Preference to the drier wines in the portfolio, but this is very enjoyable. Would be a good match for something just a little spicy.
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I'll just say it, I thought this was Demi sec. Very fruit forward with medium weight in the mouth, not all that sweetness can be attributed to the pear and pineapple. It's a very nice wine and the glass I had paired nicely with my citrus dressing on the salad but too sweet for me to go another round.
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Medium gold color, floral nose with some citrus notes and a bit of yeast. Off-dry, tropical flavors with good acidity cutting through the sweetness. Long, smooth finish. Really enjoying these Chenin Blancs from Chidaine, especially for the price paid.
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Initally, a bit diffuse and tasting slightly oxidized. With a bit of air, it came into focus and gained zip. Seeming dry to off-dry, it paired well with pan-seared Mahi-Mahi with a mango salsa. Good but not sensational.
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This does come off a bit sweet for my liking, more demi in tone. Tropical, so think pineapple, papaya, apricot. I got a real good chill on it so that seemed to help crisp up the texture but if you let this warm up, the riper tones emerge....I will say this is better on the 2nd day, as the acidity through the lime has come forward, and there is some cut here now. This is definitely tropical in tone but there is far better underlying material than the glass y/day. And to reinforce, drink chilled as this really helps to center the wine. Good.
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Very nice demi-sec - a little on the sweet and heavy side for me, but a nice example of this style nonetheless. Very lithe and carries the sweetness well.
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Best bottle I've had of this to date. Showed much more poise and balance than previously, with the sweetness and acidity seeming to have knitted together into something more elegant, without losing any energy or complexity.
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Nose of quince, white vanilla, ruby red grapefruit, honeycomb, and acacia flower. Papaya, sweet lime, and mineral palate with great acidity and a touch of sweetness. Tasty stuff.
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Monthly tasting club LTC; Loire Valley, Vouvray (@ MvG): Bouquet with minerals, white and yellow fruits. On the palate quite focused with good minerality, melon, honey, apples, some sweetness and also good acidity. A bit controversial because it is focused at first, but showing some age in the finish. Would be interesting to see how this developes. For tonight 89.
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Popped and poured. Tart apricot aroma. When first opened this was pure grapefruit juice, but with time flavors of apricot and lanolin, among others, appear. Lingering honeyed finish.
Complex, delicious, with a beautiful balance between rich sweetness and intense acidity. First class.
As an aside, the foil capsule on this bottle was almost impossible to remove. I've had wax that was easier.
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10/5/2022 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Bordeaux/Cabernet with Special Guest Lail (Orsay): From a magnum. Drinking well. Round and unctuous but with that chenin crispness towards the end. It was enjoyable.
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12/24/2020 - Dalex wrote: 92 Points
Consumed over two days. Very consistent.
Folks-this is off dry, so plan your tasting or meal around that.
But such great tropical fruit and notes of honey with some decent minerality behind it.
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9/1/2020 - gordoyflaca Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needs at least 2 hours to open, but then is mineral pineapple
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12/6/2018 - td1836 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking very well. Off dry, sweet apple and peach. Acidity maintains freshness in the palate.
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11/10/2018 - MLipton wrote:
Opened with a diner of jerk chicken. The off-dry nature of the wine worked wonderfully with the spicing and heat of the food. In a really good place right now with plenty of quince-like fruit, honey and still zippy acidity.
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6/11/2018 - jsherdc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Much better than 3 years ago! Slightly sweet. Still fresh. Not wooly or sherrified. Mild apple -peach. Creamy.
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3/26/2018 - wayfarer wrote:
Deep gold in glass. Clearly quite aged, tertiary flavors of caramel, aged lemon, sense of riper yellow fruit in core, floral notes, stone. Acid/residual sugar in tension, with sweetness accentuated by caramel-esque flavor, balanced in the end with the acidity. Moderate length but richness of flavors is a bit short, resolving in a more one-dimensional finish of the acid/sweetness balance only.
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1/12/2018 - jrobs7777 wrote:
Really good. Not really "sweet" in the traditional sense, but there is a touch of sweetness balanced by the acidity. Terrific orchard fruit. Concentration is there. A touch of citrus zest, honey and cream.
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5/31/2017 - ews3 wrote: flawed
Horribly corked.
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1/10/2017 - ews3 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium gold color. Youthful, medium intensity nose initially shows some odd putty notes, before evolving nicely in glass to show ripe pear, white flowers, mineral, and raw papaya. Off-dry, with medium(+) acidity balancing out the slight sweetness. Medium body, with flavors similar to the nose, but a deeper tropical fruit note of mango. Medium finish. Still quite young and has plenty of life ahead.
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12/6/2016 - Rob and Meg wrote: 92 Points
Rich, expressive aromatics of ripe orchard fruit, honey, orange blossom, and roasted nuts. The palate is powerful and electric, balancing wonderful ripe pear and peach with an undercurrent of wet slate and finishing floral lemon curd acidity. Excellent depth and incredible value. Drink or hold.
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9/19/2016 - Enfant sauvage Likes this wine:
Beautiful bottle. Tropical fruit, pear, and lime, without sacrificing any minerality. I expected sweeter from a few of the reviews here, but I found the sweetness and acid to be very much in balance. Personally, I'm happy with Woodstock-level acidity, and while that's certainly not present here, there is nothing at all flabby about this wine (for a demi-sec). Perhaps not the most complex of Chidaine's wines, but lovely now, will probably stay that way for quite a while.
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8/31/2016 - alanr wrote: 91 Points
Light honey in color, bit of honeysuckle and beeswax on the nose; quite a rich, almost unctuous wine, but it has good balancing acidity, even some minerality and decent complexity. Draw some air in and this explodes with flavor. Preference to the drier wines in the portfolio, but this is very enjoyable. Would be a good match for something just a little spicy.
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8/30/2015 - brigcampbell wrote:
I'll just say it, I thought this was Demi sec. Very fruit forward with medium weight in the mouth, not all that sweetness can be attributed to the pear and pineapple. It's a very nice wine and the glass I had paired nicely with my citrus dressing on the salad but too sweet for me to go another round.
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7/5/2015 - td1836 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium gold color, floral nose with some citrus notes and a bit of yeast. Off-dry, tropical flavors with good acidity cutting through the sweetness. Long, smooth finish. Really enjoying these Chenin Blancs from Chidaine, especially for the price paid.
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5/16/2015 - baseballvino Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great depth of flavor, rich, accessible. And last bottle. Hmmmm.
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5/14/2015 - MLipton wrote:
Initally, a bit diffuse and tasting slightly oxidized. With a bit of air, it came into focus and gained zip. Seeming dry to off-dry, it paired well with pan-seared Mahi-Mahi with a mango salsa. Good but not sensational.
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12/1/2014 - liteagilis Likes this wine:
Just off dry. Hint of botrytis on the nose. Floral. Vibrant. Orange oil. Long acid spine and lengthy finish. Great value.
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4/15/2014 - Frank Murray III wrote:
This does come off a bit sweet for my liking, more demi in tone. Tropical, so think pineapple, papaya, apricot. I got a real good chill on it so that seemed to help crisp up the texture but if you let this warm up, the riper tones emerge....I will say this is better on the 2nd day, as the acidity through the lime has come forward, and there is some cut here now. This is definitely tropical in tone but there is far better underlying material than the glass y/day. And to reinforce, drink chilled as this really helps to center the wine. Good.
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3/17/2014 - christyler wrote:
Very nice demi-sec - a little on the sweet and heavy side for me, but a nice example of this style nonetheless. Very lithe and carries the sweetness well.
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2/15/2014 - Billigan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Best bottle I've had of this to date. Showed much more poise and balance than previously, with the sweetness and acidity seeming to have knitted together into something more elegant, without losing any energy or complexity.
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12/13/2013 - cartime Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of quince, white vanilla, ruby red grapefruit, honeycomb, and acacia flower. Papaya, sweet lime, and mineral palate with great acidity and a touch of sweetness. Tasty stuff.
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9/14/2013 - danstrings wrote: 87 Points
If you like RS, this is for you. Good fruit, but I prefer it dry.
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9/5/2013 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
Monthly tasting club LTC; Loire Valley, Vouvray (@ MvG): Bouquet with minerals, white and yellow fruits. On the palate quite focused with good minerality, melon, honey, apples, some sweetness and also good acidity. A bit controversial because it is focused at first, but showing some age in the finish. Would be interesting to see how this developes. For tonight 89.
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7/24/2013 - Outplaying wrote:
Francois Chidaine tasting with Rob Panzer, Down to Earth wines (Bistro 7, Philadelphia, PA): Demi-sec with 22g residual sugar and 5 grams of acid. Clean, intense, tart with some sweetness but the lime, lemon citrus and the acid keep if fresh and give it some crispness. I thought this was well balanced surprisingly given the amount of sugar.
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7/24/2013 - jrobs7777 wrote:
The Chenin Blancs of Francois Chidaine of Montlouis/Vouvray (Bistro 7 (7 N. 3rd St., Philadelphia)): A nip of oxidation. Slightly honeyed with quince, fennel and lusher stone fruit. I thought the acidity was a bit disjointed, though, and this could use some short term cellaring.
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5/14/2013 - wineshlub wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Tart apricot aroma. When first opened this was pure grapefruit juice, but with time flavors of apricot and lanolin, among others, appear. Lingering honeyed finish.
Complex, delicious, with a beautiful balance between rich sweetness and intense acidity. First class.
As an aside, the foil capsule on this bottle was almost impossible to remove. I've had wax that was easier.
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4/26/2013 - jsherdc wrote: 91 Points
Not as good as past vintages, but probably still too young. Currently it has a slightly nutty (sherry like) flavour with a sweet and creamy finish.
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3/23/2013 - Rob and Meg wrote: 91 Points
Blind Tasting - 2010 Loire Chenin Blanc (Weygandt Wines - Washington, DC): Tasted Blind. Excellent bouquet of ripe green apples, baking spice, almond butter, and lilies. Fantastic, tense, medium-full bodied palate of crisp apples, rich pear, creme brulee, and cinnamon. The slate mineral driven finish adds candied citrus, perfect orchard fruit, and clove. This is wonderful, with a bright future. R&M91
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3/3/2013 - ljl203 wrote: 90 Points
Green apples, papaya, toffee note. Acid more pronounced after 90 minutes. Not as much minerality as 2009.
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