Amboise: Caves Ambacia Visit and Wine Tasting
Tease your 5 senses at Les Caves Ambacia, winemaker since 1463. Discover 15th-century troglodyte caves dug in limestone, tour the collection, and taste 6 wines paired ...
Profile
Structure
Drinking window
Latest scored vintage 2022: best 2024 to 2032.
vintage2 yrs10 yrs12 yrs
Critic scores
| Critic | Vintage | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Wine Advocate reviewed 2024 | 2022 | 91/100 |
Scores as published by each critic for the vintage shown.
In the glass
Aroma: lemon, white peach, chalk, white flower
Palate: citrus, wet stone, creamy lees, saline mineral
Chidaine's flagship Montlouis blend across multiple plots. Dry and mineral with good clarity of fruit and a long, chalky finish.
What it pairs with
- Sole grenobloise Caper-and-lemon brown butter sauce meets the wine's chalky citrus signature.More wines for fish →
- Goat cheese tart Loire chèvre meets Chenin's chalky drive; lifted aromatics handle the puff pastry.More wines for lamb →
- Pike-perch with beurre blanc Loire freshwater fish in butter sauce meets a Chenin with creamy lees and acidity.More wines for fish →
- Lobster ravioli Shellfish sweetness meets the wine's lees creaminess and saline-mineral lift.More wines for lobster →
With cheese
Sainte-Maure de Touraine
Our pick The consortium suggests a Chenin or Sauvignon from Touraine for this cheese. A dry Touraine Chenin, raised in tank or older oak, has the high acidity and citrus or orchard fruit to cut through a creamy, tangy log.
Selles-sur-Cher
Our pick The consortium points to a Chenin from Touraine for Selles-sur-Cher. Montlouis, across the river from Vouvray, makes dry Chenin with enough acidity to balance the salty, slightly bitter ash rind and the sweet, hazelnut paste.
History
François Chidaine founded the domaine in 1989 with four hectares of scattered parcels in Montlouis. Les Choisilles is his flagship blended dry cuvée and was an early bottling.
- 1989François Chidaine founds the domaine in Montlouis
- 2002Chidaine acquires Clos Baudoin in Vouvray, extending his Chenin holdings
Facts
- Producer
- Domaine François Chidaine · visiting guide
- Grapes
- Chenin Blanc (100%)
- Classification
- Montlouis-sur-Loire AOC
- Oak
- Vinified in older oak barrels and tank; aged around 12 months on fine lees
- ABV
- 13.0%
- Price
- EUR 20 to 32 at retail
- Drinking window
- 2-10 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1989
- Biodynamic
- Biodynamic Practicing
- Organic
- ECOCERT
- Vegan
- Yes (no animal-derived fining)
Frequently asked about Montlouis-sur-Loire Les Choisilles
What does Chidaine Les Choisilles taste like?
Lemon, white peach, chalk and white flower on the nose; citrus, wet stone, creamy lees and saline mineral on the palate. Medium-bodied with high acidity and a long chalky finish.
When should I drink Chidaine Les Choisilles?
Drink between 2 and 10 years from vintage. The biodynamic farming and 12 months of lees ageing give the wine textural depth that rewards 3 to 5 years in bottle.
Where is Les Choisilles grown?
Across multiple parcels in Montlouis-sur-Loire, biodynamically farmed by François Chidaine since the early 2000s.
Is Chidaine Les Choisilles vegan?
Yes. The estate is biodynamic and uses no animal-derived fining agents.
Tags
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