This White is ‘ight

The love fest with Chenin Blanc has no end in sight. Chances are when you walk into a cool wine bar these days you’ll see at least a couple Chenin Blancs BTG. Bloggers are raving about California versions, deservedly so as trend-setting California wineries like Sandlands, Chappellet, Williams-Selyem, and Pax have made it a priority. South African Chenin is also on an upswing with its focus on old vines. And of course Chenin has long been the darling of Loire Valley hotshots pioneering biodynamic winemaking, transforming the once-stodgy grape to edgy and cool. These days you’ll see allocated superstars like Yves Matignon, Roches Neuves, Nicolas Joly rivaling rare gems of Burgundy and the Rhône. 

You can spend as much as you like for your Chenin, but if you want to clock some volume, there are some terrific values to be had. And in my humble estimation, Mathieu Cosme Vouvray “Les Promenards” 2021 is one of the best you’ll find, especially among the few that achieve its aromatic intensity and steely precise style, in the manner of Dom. Foreau. 

Like John Cena on the piano, rugby player-turned-vigneron Mathieu Cosme cuts an unlikely frame for such a precise and nuanced white wine. But he does, starting with implementing the lunar calendar when he first took the helm from his family estate 20 years ago. Following in the footsteps of Nicolas Joly, Huet and Daguenau with highly touted conversions to biodynamics, Cosme farms organically and biodynamically, horse and plow, to extract the best from his 50 year old vines on the slopes of the river. The result is a wine of incredible transparency and energy. 

Mathieu Cosme Vouvray “Les Promenards” 2021 leaps out of the glass with all the chenin markers: lemon zest, ginger, kumquat. It's exuberant, exciting, electric on the palate, and fascinating as it evolves in the glass. Give it a vigorous splash decant and serve it in large Chardonnay glasses with oysters, salade de chèvre chaud, roasted chicken or whatever you like.