From three- to 19-year-old vines, the 2019 Montlouis sur Loire Les Bournais displays a golden-yellow color and a dense, well-concentrated and aromatic bouquet with tropical fruit aromas and, currently, still prominent lactic notes with straw aromas that intertwine with delicate flinty and earthy notes. Intense, tight and salty on the palate, this is a serious as well as tannic Chenin that reveals remarkable finesse and length. Still young but with excellent aging potential. Tasted in March 2021.

Planted in 1998, this is the youngest parcel that the domaine owns on argilo-calcaire soil, a little bit like Vouvray. There's a meter or so of top soil before hitting the limestone. The 2019 Bournais is ripe and fuller in style, offering welcoming peach fruit and cream-filled pastry characters. That slight creaminess is likely derived from the full spontaneous malo, which is not something Chidaine looks for. This cuvée is typically a little more expressive in youth compared with the Clos du Breuil and that's evident in 2019. You should expect a wine that focuses on texture and be welcomed with open arms. The wine elevates itself on the finish with a fine, almost saline tang and chalky note, offering texture and line.