Savennieres: You Get What You Pay For

The wines of Savennieres are often difficult in their youth, relatively expensive, and hard to find. So why bother? Because the best bottlings after a few years of cellaring give a glorious ode to arguably the world’s best dry Chenin Blanc, the single operatic grape of the region.At 146 hectares, the entire region is less than half the size of New York’s Central Park. This feature gives its wines a relatively consistent and distinct character, as well as limiting supply.By contrast, the Loire Valley, which encompasses Savennieres, is France’s Wild West — the least homogeneous AOC in the country. Where most European regions focus on two or three grape varieties, here you will find tens, from the Cabernet Franc to Melon de Bourgogne. Every other feature — soil types, precipitation, temperature, aspect, and elevation — changes all along its 180-mile length. Starting at the Atlantic coast with the sub-region of Pay Nantais — home to the salty, leesy, gulpable Muscadet wines — vineyards hug the banks of the Loire River and its meandering tributaries, heading east through Anjou, Saumur, Touraine, and finally Central Loire, where you will find the ubiquitous Sancerre.Of the hundreds of sub-sub regions, Savennieres is the simplest to grasp. One wine is made there: dry Chenin Blanc. Chenin is one of the most dynamic grapes. Like Riesling, it is naturally high in acidity, even when over-ripe, and capable of the full range of wine styles, from searingly dry to unctuously sweet, perfect for fizz, and everything in between. Restrained in its aromatics, it can often show notes of white flower, beeswax, lanolin, green apple, and lemons. Here, in the heart of Anjou, it finds itself on rolling hills of schist and slate with some sandstone. The former two suck up every bit of sunshine in the cool and damp northerly latitude, leading to optimal ripeness and concentration of flavors. The latter is a touch more giving, producing wines that can be drunk right out of the gate while the top wines unwind in the cellar.Fewer than 40 producers call this home, with the most famous being Nicholas Joly and his singular monopole estate, Coulee de Serrant. He’s one of the world’s leading advocates for biodynamic farming, and has influenced many of his neighbors to follow his lead. This has made it a hotspot for laboriously farmed grapes made into artisanal wines. Between the glaringly high acidity, tannic-esque dry extract, and austerity in youth, most of the wines of Savennieres really do need some extra time in the cellar. While a costly undertaking, the beautiful honey, waxy, nutty notes that start to unfurl, along with the tensile structure offering a bit of levity, are worth the wait.Besides Mr. Joly, whose wines are both hard to find and afford, there are many great options to watch out for: Thibaud Boudignon, Agnes & Rene Mosse, Domaine des Baumard, Domaine du Closel, Domaine Aux Moines, Domaine des Forges, and Eric Morgat, among others. Thanks to their intensive farming, the size and scope of the estates, and often the extra aging in the cellar, this is not the land of bargains. Yet it is a name synonymous with quality. Those looking for a great alternative to Chablis, Riesling, Albarino, and Sancerre will have plenty to explore and look forward to.

Savennieres: You Get What You Pay For

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