First time trying Francois Chidane and very impressed. Golden yellow in the glass, incredible nose of honey with a hint of green apple. You wouldn’t expect a dry chenin from the nose, but the palate is indeed dry but flavorful with pears, apples, incredibly long finish and a creamy texture.
When I told my husband the price he told me to buy a case and that he could drink this everyday. (Those who know me know that is a big deal—I am 100% grounded from buying wine right now 😆)
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Medium gold. On the nose medium aromas of citrus, wet stone, lanolin, tangerine. On the palate the wine is dry with high, bracing acidity, medium alcohol, medium plus body. The flavor intensity is medium plus with tangerine, lemon rind, granny smith apple, wet stone, salinity, lanolin, honey, almonds. The finish is long with citrus, salinity and honey. Brilliant wine- can keep for many years to come.
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Just had a glass of the 2020, and while these wines are showing differently tonight, they are both enjoyable and I would have difficulty picking a favorite.
There is more ripeness of the fruit on the nose with this wine, but it is dry and focused on the palate. Unfortunately, like the 2020, my last bottle, because this would certainly be a fun wine to track for a few more years.
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Wow, these Chidaine wines from 2019 are enjoyable. We tasted it alongside its cousin from across the river. This was creamy, rich and very welcoming. A lot of character, and pronounced fruit notes, with a finish that manages to keep everything in place. A relative bargain for what you get in terms of white wines at this price point. Long may it remain so.
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Gold color, which I think this may have always had. Drank from my passive cellar, which is 65 or so this time of year. I highly recommend drinking this at a warm-ish temperature.
This has incredible viscosity, leaving long legs - quite unusual for me to see that in a 13% wine. The nose is open and beautiful, with lychee, rhubarb, pears, and other beautiful notes. On the palate, the wine is delicious, mirroring the nose, but adding some lime notes and nice sweetness of fruit - the acidity is present in a good way, the finish is very long - nice concentration of fruit and sappiness on the teeth.
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Really delicious, causing you to return to it over and over. Concentrated and quite viscous for a white with the slightest hint of oxidation which kept it on a tightrope. Tense flavors of citrus harmonizing with elements of the sea – shells, salinity
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To the rescue! A couple other bottles were showing poorly - this one was shining! A delicious combination of crisp white fruit, a hint of sweetness, and mineral acidity. So good, especially for the price.
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Bordeaux tasting - with a few pirates: This was a decent palate cleanser amongst the 15 or so BDX wines dominating the evening. Decent pep and only a short clip of sweetness, the Bournais has a bit more body than its sibling Baudoin, which tends to be a little drier and less sweet. This 2019 Bournais is far superior to the comparatively richer 2017; there are more similarities here to the 2018, though I don’t think the 2019 will ever get to the level of the 2018 by a long shot. The 2019 offers pleasant lychee, yellow and green citrus, a kiss of petrol, and wet limestone flavors. With time, this woke up a tad more and became fuller. I didn’t spend too much time with this wine, but I think it is a good effort despite my being less enthusiastic about it than the 2018 version. 91-92+-ish point range here. Drink now.
On the palate was lively ripe white and yellow fruits, subtle clean minerals and great energy.
[Day 2, take home] Amazing flavors of ripe limes (if they were somehow sweet and not sour/tart), vibrant and fruited minerals, clean and subtle pineapple notes and what I imagine as dried limestone.
If this is ~$40 as I see it on the wine-searcher, this is awesome for what it is. This is one of those gems absolutely worth grabbing a few. I can't believe I almost missed this one.
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Very nice. To be honest, I had stopped buying the Chidaine wines when I experienced quite a bit of bottle variation in both the 2014 and 2016 vintages, and I won't say that one good bottle gets me back "in the fold", but this is what I remember liking about these wines.
Medium-bodied and expansive on the palate, dry with good persistence through the finish - just a real pleasure to drink.
Yellow with brown tinge. A dry, lighter, more herbal version of Chenin Blanc. As it warms, more typical pear fruit comes to the fore along with soil. Good.
Light+ bodied, traditional styling. Reticent on the nose, almost hints peanut oil alongside tree fruit. Palate balances slight sweetness against savory CB elements, with perhaps a brief moment of skin contact. Good length and balance.
Soft and open-knit, with the richness of the fruit jibing well with the fine acidity. A bit straightforward but went down easy, and showed best alongside the caviar and fish puree amuse bouche and a clever crabmeat starter made with droplets of jellied seaweed and fennel.
12/18/2023 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 93 Points
First time trying Francois Chidane and very impressed. Golden yellow in the glass, incredible nose of honey with a hint of green apple. You wouldn’t expect a dry chenin from the nose, but the palate is indeed dry but flavorful with pears, apples, incredibly long finish and a creamy texture.
When I told my husband the price he told me to buy a case and that he could drink this everyday. (Those who know me know that is a big deal—I am 100% grounded from buying wine right now 😆)
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11/26/2023 - dbay Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium gold. On the nose medium aromas of citrus, wet stone, lanolin, tangerine. On the palate the wine is dry with high, bracing acidity, medium alcohol, medium plus body. The flavor intensity is medium plus with tangerine, lemon rind, granny smith apple, wet stone, salinity, lanolin, honey, almonds. The finish is long with citrus, salinity and honey. Brilliant wine- can keep for many years to come.
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9/1/2023 - Bob H wrote:
Just had a glass of the 2020, and while these wines are showing differently tonight, they are both enjoyable and I would have difficulty picking a favorite.
There is more ripeness of the fruit on the nose with this wine, but it is dry and focused on the palate. Unfortunately, like the 2020, my last bottle, because this would certainly be a fun wine to track for a few more years.
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8/13/2023 - Nojomoschwa Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wow, these Chidaine wines from 2019 are enjoyable. We tasted it alongside its cousin from across the river. This was creamy, rich and very welcoming. A lot of character, and pronounced fruit notes, with a finish that manages to keep everything in place. A relative bargain for what you get in terms of white wines at this price point. Long may it remain so.
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8/7/2023 - trumpet60201 wrote: 93 Points
Gold color, which I think this may have always had. Drank from my passive cellar, which is 65 or so this time of year. I highly recommend drinking this at a warm-ish temperature.
This has incredible viscosity, leaving long legs - quite unusual for me to see that in a 13% wine. The nose is open and beautiful, with lychee, rhubarb, pears, and other beautiful notes. On the palate, the wine is delicious, mirroring the nose, but adding some lime notes and nice sweetness of fruit - the acidity is present in a good way, the finish is very long - nice concentration of fruit and sappiness on the teeth.
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7/15/2023 - chbeaumont wrote: 91 Points
Advanced colour; chalky, well defined; sculpted, good tension. Yet to peak.
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4/22/2023 - Wine celler wrote: 88 Points
Grei chenin men forsvarer ikke prisen
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1/9/2023 - pgb67 wrote: 93 Points
Really delicious, causing you to return to it over and over. Concentrated and quite viscous for a white with the slightest hint of oxidation which kept it on a tightrope. Tense flavors of citrus harmonizing with elements of the sea – shells, salinity
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11/27/2022 - Wine Spam wrote: 93 Points
To the rescue! A couple other bottles were showing poorly - this one was shining! A delicious combination of crisp white fruit, a hint of sweetness, and mineral acidity. So good, especially for the price.
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11/24/2022 - Outplaying wrote:
Fairly rich and big, but slightly tart and very dry at the same time. Pretty good.
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11/1/2022 - csimm wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux tasting - with a few pirates: This was a decent palate cleanser amongst the 15 or so BDX wines dominating the evening. Decent pep and only a short clip of sweetness, the Bournais has a bit more body than its sibling Baudoin, which tends to be a little drier and less sweet. This 2019 Bournais is far superior to the comparatively richer 2017; there are more similarities here to the 2018, though I don’t think the 2019 will ever get to the level of the 2018 by a long shot. The 2019 offers pleasant lychee, yellow and green citrus, a kiss of petrol, and wet limestone flavors. With time, this woke up a tad more and became fuller. I didn’t spend too much time with this wine, but I think it is a good effort despite my being less enthusiastic about it than the 2018 version. 91-92+-ish point range here. Drink now.
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10/29/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bordeaux tasting with some Napa outsiders (The Embrace of Silence): Aromas of fresh, sparkling minerals, white and softly fleshed fruits and Korean pear.
On the palate was lively ripe white and yellow fruits, subtle clean minerals and great energy.
[Day 2, take home]
Amazing flavors of ripe limes (if they were somehow sweet and not sour/tart), vibrant and fruited minerals, clean and subtle pineapple notes and what I imagine as dried limestone.
If this is ~$40 as I see it on the wine-searcher, this is awesome for what it is. This is one of those gems absolutely worth grabbing a few. I can't believe I almost missed this one.
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8/27/2022 - Mr T wrote:
PNP with friends
Ok but not great to my taste with not especially sharp flavors
Neither fruit nor acid as crisp as these wines sometimes are
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7/27/2022 - Bob H wrote:
Very nice. To be honest, I had stopped buying the Chidaine wines when I experienced quite a bit of bottle variation in both the 2014 and 2016 vintages, and I won't say that one good bottle gets me back "in the fold", but this is what I remember liking about these wines.
Medium-bodied and expansive on the palate, dry with good persistence through the finish - just a real pleasure to drink.
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4/3/2022 - tak4 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured on a Sunday afternoon
Wine is bright, not that concentrated looking, sort of a wan lemon.
Expressive nose of peach, wool, cream, wet rock, and lemon.
On palate, wine is dry, doesn't drink hot, a little earthiness, some white pepper, and the minerality comes across.
This is a very nice wine! Perfect for the occasion.
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1/22/2022 - Bradetti wrote: 92 Points
Pretty good and best on day 2. But I prefer the tendre wines!
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10/7/2021 - vespasian wrote: 94 Points
Wonderfully expressive nose. Complex mineral and citrus notes with pear and apple; exceptional balance here. Really superb. Long.
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9/26/2021 - Marsil Likes this wine: 92 Points
Passet ekstremt bra til fårikål.
Frekk syre, og fin fruktsødme.
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9/22/2021 - drwine2001 wrote:
Yellow with brown tinge. A dry, lighter, more herbal version of Chenin Blanc. As it warms, more typical pear fruit comes to the fore along with soil. Good.
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8/4/2021 - aero Likes this wine: 90 Points
Light+ bodied, traditional styling. Reticent on the nose, almost hints peanut oil alongside tree fruit. Palate balances slight sweetness against savory CB elements, with perhaps a brief moment of skin contact. Good length and balance.
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8/1/2021 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding, beautiful wine with a very long finish. It is rich and concentrated.
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7/30/2021 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 91 Points
Soft and open-knit, with the richness of the fruit jibing well with the fine acidity. A bit straightforward but went down easy, and showed best alongside the caviar and fish puree amuse bouche and a clever crabmeat starter made with droplets of jellied seaweed and fennel.
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