2017 Montlouis Sec Remus

50- to 80-year-old Chenin vines on clay-limestone and silica-clay soils over limestone parent rock. South-facing slopes. Organic farming but not certified. The grapes are picked on a second pass through the vineyard (the first-pass fruit is for Les Dix Arpents). Fermented very slowly in barrel with no added yeast and no chaptalisation. Aged one year in barrel, 25% new, the rest 1–3 years old. Impressive and beautiful long, smooth cork. A thing of beauty. Ripe but tangy fresh pear fruit and some crunchy green apple – perhaps a hint of something more like clementine – with just a slight creaminess from the oak but far from oaky. Taut, almost austere on the palate, but deliciously dry and mouth-watering. Not as intense as I remember from some vintages but extremely moreish and should age well. Long finish. Very little sign of the oak except in a slight creaminess as the wine warms up in the glass. So drinkable: fresh, light bodied yet with delicate substance. Just a little chewy on the finish, with all those fruit flavours again at the end. (JH)