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. -
Goat cheese tart
Loire chèvre meets Chenin's chalky drive; lifted aromatics handle the puff pastry. -
Pike-perch with beurre blanc
Loire freshwater fish in butter sauce meets a Chenin with creamy lees and acidity. -
Lobster ravioli
Shellfish sweetness meets the wine's lees creaminess and saline-mineral lift.
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.
- 1989 — François Chidaine founds the domaine in Montlouis
- 2002 — Chidaine acquires Clos Baudoin in Vouvray, extending his Chenin holdings
Facts
- Producer
- Domaine François Chidaine
- 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)
Scores
- Wine Advocate 91 (2022 vintage, reviewed 2024)
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.