Dom Moyer, Clos de la Garenne Moelleux Montlouis-sur-Loire 2008

Vinous Reverie Notes
From father to son for 8 generations, the area stretches over 14 ha on the most beautiful slopes of Montlouis. This estate of two centuries of age (the century manor house, a former hunting appointment of the Duke of Choiseul) produced exceptional Chenin Blanc's of every style - like this Moelleux. The greatest sweet wines of the Loire are made from the impeccable Chenin Blanc. Perhaps no grape variety in the wine world carries residual sugar as deftly as Chenin Blanc, and the most riveting and long-lasting Chenins are inarguably those with some degree of sweetness, made in Moelleux style. Moelleux wines always sport a lightning bolt of acidity, which counterbalances the intense sweetness to a startling degree and makes the wines all but bulletproof in the cellar. A deep, ringing earthiness combines with a limestone hammer-blow to further distract from the sugar, and the length on these wines is mind-boggling. Tasting Notes: On the nose, soft fresh white challah and thick home-made apricot preserve. Then lemon-drizzle cake, walnut shells, ground cumin and a fine but firm underline of cold slate. It’s not acidity that judders through this wine but minerality.