Chateau Villeneuve Saumur Blanc 2021

When I was at Jean Georges, the sommelier team needed to sell expensive white Burgs but when friends and family came in, they got special recommendations….with a wink and a nod from the chief sommelier, customers with connections to the staff were suggested special wines….wines that complemented Jean-Georges’ cuisine just as well as those Saturday night Burgundies and Bordeaux but over delivered in complexity and versatility at a Tuesday night price.

More often than not, the wines in Jean-Georges’s secret stash were Loire Valley Chenin Blancs from places like Saumur. The great ones – like this one from Villeneuve – are aromatically complex and deeply fruity with vibrant, mineral finishes.

With a wink and a nod from the sommelier, these staff faves were suggested special wines….wines that complemented Jean-Georges’ cuisine just as well as those Saturday night Burgundies and Bordeaux but over delivered in complexity and versatility at a Tuesday night price.

The best Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley is always rooted in the chalky white soil they call tuffeau. It’s the best source to deliver aromatically complex, vibrant Chenin, perfect at any dining room table. The organically farmed Château de Villeneuve in Saumur, has a history of making notable Chenin Blanc since 1577 and the 2015 rendition shows every bit of that considerable pedigree.