2020 Chateau de Fosse-Seche Arcane Saumur Blanc

Château de Fosse-Sèche is one of the most sought-after estates in the Loire, and Arcane is its flagship white. Only 17 hectares of this 40-hectare property are planted, and the remaining 23 are woodland and a protected bird sanctuary that can never be converted, so production is capped permanently. Yields run 30 hectoliters per hectare, roughly half what the appellation allows (basically, a ton of concentration!)

Almost every vineyard in Saumur is planted on soft white chalk. Fosse-Sèche is planted on flint and iron oxide, on a Jurassic plateau containing no free limestone at all. That soil is why this Chenin Blanc has added complexity from its metallic soil that most whites from the region aren't privileged enough to have.

Guillaume and Adrien Pire are Belgian-born twins who grew up in Madagascar. They bought a property with no winery on it, because every previous owner had sold the grapes to the local co-operative. They built the entire operation themselves and have farmed it biodynamically since 2010. Vines were planted on this land in the 13th century and some of the oldest wine vats in France are still here.

Expect ripe pear, quince, and acacia honey over iron and iodine, with full body, fine tannin, and a finish that will not quit. Serve it at 54 degrees with seared fish, or cellar it for five to ten years and watch it improve.

Our allocation is finite. Buy accordingly.