Le Garenne Chenin Blanc 2024 (Loire) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a delicious, dry Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley that landed at the LCBO as a brand-new arrival in last month's January 10 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

It is produced by Le Garenne, a modern and relatively new wine brand that was established around the beginning of the decade. The brand focuses on wines from the Loire Valley, which is often called the "Garden of France" because of its noble landscapes.

The Loire Valley is defined by the Loire River, which is France's longest river that stretches nearly 1,000 km from east to west, crossing five different regions from the Ardèche in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region to the Atlantic Ocean in the west. The Loire region has always been recognized for its perfect climate and diversified soils for quality viticulture going back to the times of the Roman Empire. Given its northerly location and the substance and vitality of the river, the well-adjusted climate and soil composition in the Loire Valley is conducive to producing beautifully refined, and concentrated wines made with Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau, and Pinot Noir.

At Le Garenne, the focus is to create sustainable wines that are both good for your taste buds and nature. Sustainable winegrowing is very important value for Le Garenne as it carries a comprehensive set of practices that are environmentally sound, socially equitable and economically viable. With 25% of the vineyards in the Loire farmed using sustainable agriculture, Le Garenne carefully selects the winegrowers and vintners they choose to work with, ensuring that the grapes come from sustainable family farms and of high-quality. Sustainable vineyard and winery practices involve conservation of water and energy, maintaining healthy soils while protecting air and water quality, enhancing relations with employees and communities, preserving local ecosystems and wildlife habitat, and improving the economic vitality of vineyards and wineries. The goal of Le Garenne is to give consumers a Super Premium, healthy, and authentic experience at an affordable price.

This white wine is from La Garenne's Premium range of entry-level wines. It is crafted using 100% Chenin Blanc from vineyards located mostly surrounding the villages of Le Puy Notre Dame and Le Vaudelnay, on the left bank of the Loire River in Saumur. The vines are planted on calcareous and clay soils, with south-southwest exposure to the sun. The average age of the vines is 45 years old, which naturally limits yields and provides great concentration and depth in the wine. The grape must was slowly pressed and selected during the pressing phase. It underwent a temperature-controlled, alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks for nearly 8 weeks in order to develop the aromas.

The growing season in 2024 in the Loire Valley was a uniformly difficult vintage that began very mild and very wet. May was a constant struggle against mildew, along with cool and wet weather during flowering meant poor flower set and grape development, which cut yields further. Weather conditions in the Loire only modestly improved in August. If there is a bright spot in this difficult vintage, it's that white wine varietals in the zones of Anjou and Saumur suffered less than other regions in the Loire, and produced wines that retained their aromatic freshness. From a difficult vintage, let's see how this 2024 Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

LE GARENNE CHENIN BLANC 2024 - Loire Valley, France (#47327) (XD) - $18.95
Fresh and elegant, the lifted, medium+ to medium-high intensity nose offers attractive, ripe lemon citrus, apple, stony mineral, and yellow floral aromas, plus hints of honeysuckle and orange peel adding further interest. The dry, mid-weighted palate has lemon citrus, apple, orange peel, and yellow floral flavours in a slightly tart profile. It's supported by juicy acidity, while the lemon citrus and apple notes taper to stony-leesy minerals on the juicy finish, with very good length. Only 10.5% abv. Recommended buy to enjoy with seafood or poultry. Score: 88 pts

Other delicious wines by La Garenne can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.