François Chidaine, 2020 Update
Recently I was revisiting some old additions to this site, including my first-ever tasting report on the wines of François Chidaine, posted here a little over a decade ago, and I was immediately struck by how familiar it all seemed. Even back then I noted that François was something of an outsider in Vouvray, one of the two main appellations in which he works.
The son of a vigneron, born-and-bred in Montlouis-sur-Loire, it probably came as something of a surprise to the conservative mindset of Vouvray when he got his hands on several of the appellation’s most attractive vineyards, not just Le Bouchet and a corner plot in Le Haut Lieu, but the prestigious Clos Baudoin as well. Bear in mind that this was a time when it felt that things in Vouvray were changing at a pace that would make even the movement of a glacier look hasty.
Ten years on, this description of François Chidaine still seems to ring true. He and his peer Jacky Blot are not only outsiders in Vouvray, they have been excluded from the appellation altogether. I have the impression that some bad feeling remains in the wake of this decision, made back in 2015, on both sides of the appellation border, although I don’t think François carries any such grudge; he has certainly never given me any cause to think so.
Looking at the broader picture, this exclusion has been just one of several tests and trials faced by François over the years; the transition of ownership of his Vouvray vineyards from the hands of Prince Poniatowski to his own was one (it was, reputedly, not entirely amicable), and devastating frost damage in several vintages, nudging the estate towards bankruptcy (having just invested in impressive new cellars François had some significant loans to repay), another. Thankfully, with some help from his friends, François continues on, ready to pick and press another day.
Despite this backdrop of trial and misfortune, and whatever appellation his wines from Vouvray might (or might not) have, there is no denying the quality and character of the wines here. Even after all the above, this remains a must-visit, must-taste, must-buy and must-drink estate. Earlier in 2020 I made sure I stopped off, as I do every year, to taste the latest releases chez Chidaine.
Please log in to continue reading: