Domaine de la Renaudie Touraine Chenonceaux Blanc 2023

This week’s Weekend Wine selection takes us upriver on the Loire, past its unions with the Vienne and the Indre, and onto the Cher. There are no famous appellations on this river – unless you count Montlouis-sur-Loire which is sandwiched between the Loire and the Cher just before they meet – and yet the Cher is home to arguably the most exciting and under-rated region for Sauvignon Blanc in the entire Loire Valley.

These Sauvignon vineyards are embedded within the Touraine appellation, in one of five geographical denominations. A brief refresher on these is perhaps warranted, although you can find them all described in detail in my guide to Touraine wines. On the Loire itself are the three original geographical denominations – Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau and Mesland – all of which are refuges for Chenin Blanc (plus some red and/or rosé wines) in an otherwise Sauvignon-dominated landscape. On or north of the Cher, meanwhile, are two much younger geographical denominations – Oisly and Chenonceaux – both of which aim to lift the quality of Sauvignon in these respective zones to new levels.

All the details on the Touraine Chenonceaux geographical denominations can be found in my guide, but there are a few key differences which lift these wines above the norm. In brief, rules about maturity at harvest and restrictions on yields contribute a little to the quality of the fruit, while rules about the élevage and bottling dates – these wines can not be bottled before the end of April following the harvest – arguably have a larger impact. Perhaps most important of all, there is a degree of prestige to the appellation, which means vignerons invest more in these wines, with the promise of better prices than for generic Sauvignon.

Having explored the Touraine appellations last year, with a detailed Touraine Chenonceaux report, as well as a report on the other Touraine geographical denominations and straight Touraine, I came away impressed by a number of wines and domaines, particularly within the Touraine Chenonceaux appellation. One of which was Domaine de la Renaudie.

Based in Mareuil-sur-Cher on the south bank of the river, Domaine de la Renaudie has been run by the Denis family for four generations. Founded by Albert Denis in 1928 with just a few hectares of vines, his son Jacques Denis took the reins during the mid-20th century, followed by grandson Bruno Denis and his wife Patricia from about 1976. Under Bruno the domaine saw significant expansion, and it was also during his era that the Touraine Chenonceaux geographical denomination was created, 2011 being the first vintage. At that time there were barely 35 hectares registered, today there are more then 160 hectares, and Domaine de la Renaudie has at least 17 of those.

Today Bruno continues at the domaine, but focuses on the vineyard, while the fourth generation – daughter Charlotte Denis – concentrates on the winemaking. The Touraine Chenonceaux cuvées – in both colours – serve as the domaine’s flagship wines.

The 2023 Touraine Chenonceaux Blanc from Domaine de la Renaudie is made from free-run juice which is allowed to settle for 24 hours before a cool-temperature fermentation (below 20ºC) in stainless steel. The élevage was on the lees as you would expect, but it went beyond the minimum time with a total of twelve months on the lees before bottling. In the glass this has a fine straw-coloured hue. I find quite wonderful fruit on the nose, with guava, passion fruit and white peach, set in a waxy and confident style. The palate combines texture and fruit in a forward and coherent intertwining mirroring the nose, all set in a waxy texture, with a light pithy backdrop with modest and gently tingling acidity. Supple and succulent, with that waxy concentration which appeals. All in all this is a broad, textural, citrus-infused charmer with a gently tingling length. Delicious. The alcohol on the label is 13%. 92/100 (10/3/26)

Read more in:

• My guide to the Loire Valley wine region
• Previous reports on the Loire Valley 2023 vintage
• Detailed guides to Touraine and Touraine Chenonceaux appellations

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